The Missing Piece: Din's Light
by the-lost-melody-four
Summary: A girl and her friend are plucked from their modern day world and dropped into the world of Hyrule. Right from the get go they are faced with danger. What will happen when she becomes Ganon's object of attention? GanonxOC.
1. Chapter 1

Lightning flashed, illuminating the sky. Thunder soon followed, rolling across the clouds; strong enough for vibrations to be felt on the ground. A window pane rattelled, causing Cora's eyes to flip open. Cora was asleep in her bed; she wished she could say 'soundly'. It was another sleepless night of tossing and turning, frequently waking up, and being plagued with dozens of dreams. She sighed; she loved the sound of rain pelting her window. The hum it created was soothing and usually lulled her to sleep. She wished she could enjoy it tonight. She flipped over, her eyes caught a glimpse of red numbers: 1:15. _Swell._. She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.

It didn't take long for her to dream. She was a vivid dreamer, often feeling what happened in her dreams.

_She was wandering in a forest. She was calm and at peace, leisurely picking her way along a soft grassy path. At that thought, she looked down. She was barefoot; the grass felt cool on her feet. Her eyes searched for the clouds but to no avail. The trees were tall and dense. As she walked, she stepped on several twigs and pine needles, but she didn't worry. She felt no desire to be careful. Some branches blocked her path ahead. She pushed them out of her way and wedged her way between them, entering a clearing. She was no longer alone._

_A beautiful lady stood on the other side. She had on beautiful red garments; the word 'robes' came into mind. They reminded her of roman togas with a mix of modern day elegance. The lady had flaming red hair and her whole body possessed a golden glow. Cora was in awe. The women was beautiful and she felt the urge to sit before her and stare. The women appeared to be looking for something. She craned her neck to see through the trees, walking the edge of the clearing. Suddenly, her head snapped to Cora. With inhuman speeds, she was quickly within inches of Cora's face. Cora gasped and took a step back, startled. Her eyes were a deep golden color, with flecs of the rainbow._

_"I've found you," she spoke. Her voice resonated. It was strong, powerful, commanding her attention. It reminded Cora of an announcer over an intercom system. The women's hand extended towards her, intending to touch her cheek, but before it could Cora's eyes snapped open once again, at the sound of the radio._

She looked over; 7:00. She couldn't believe she had actually stayed asleep for more than a few minutes. She slapped her hand on top of her alarm clock, searching for the button. After fumbling for a few moments, she successfully turned off the radio. She sat up in bed and stretched. She ran her hand through her short tousled hair; what a strange dream. She didn't think too much of it, though. She hopped out of bed and started getting ready for the day.

A few hours later, she was walking down the street with her best friend, Whitney. Cora always had a good time when she was with Whitney; they had been friends since they were kids.

As they passed by a lady on the street, Whitney turned to her and said, "Can you believe she's wearing white pants _and_ a black thong? Like, seriously. How can they _not_ know that you can see it?"

Cora laughed. "I think that's the plan; they want you to see it."

Whitney grimaced and shook her head. Cora looked up at the building they were passing; the color of the bricks had caught her eye. They were mostly gray with a few white ones scattered through out. The sign read "The Hidden Din; Antiques and Collectibles". Cora and Whitney loved to look at antiques. They often found some awesome jewlelry.

Cora nudged Whitney. "Hey, lets check this place out."

Whitney looked at the building and smiled. "Awesome eye."

The entered the building; they were immediatly met with the smell that often comes with old books and dusty drapes. Whitney looked to Cora, wrinkling her nose. They split up and began to pick through the items. The place had the usual stuff; old chairs, paintings, mason jars, that sort of thing. As Cora shifted some items on a table, she saw a glint of gold. "Hey, Whitney, I think I found something." Cora assumed it was a gold piece to a necklace, perhaps even a pocket watch. Whitney came up to Cora, and immediatly saw what had caught Cora's eye. Whitney reached out to grab it, and at the same time, Cora reached out to remove the cloth that was covering part of it. Their fingers brushed the piece at the same time.

There was a blinding flash of gold causing Cora to immediatly close her eyes and try to shield them from the light. She felt a strong gust of wind and the sensation that she was falling; she screamed. Her first thought was that the floor had given out or something, but she never felt the ground beneath her. She still couldn't open her eyes because it was so bright. What had happened to Whitney? Was she falling too? Before Cora could call out to her she felt her body crashing through water. Her momentum slowed as she sank into the water, she opened her eyes and began to kick towards the surface. As she broke the water, she immediatly looked about for Whitney. Seconds later, Whitney's head broke the surface, her dark hair plasterd to her head. Her and Cora shared a look of confusion and terror. What had just happened?

"Come on, lets get to shore," Cora stated as she began to swim past Whitney. As they neared the beach, Cora's toes were met with soft sand. That was odd, Cora thought. What had happened to her shoes? They walked onto the beach and looked around.

"Are you ok?" Whitney looked over Cora.

Cora nodded. "Just a little shaken. You?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Where _are_ we?" Whitney questioned. She did a quick 180.

Cora stared. To her left she could see what looked like the giant opening to a cave, she thought she could maybe see light shining through the other end. To her right was a rocky cliff. The stone was dark black and looked wet, several areas covered with moss. A dirt path jutted out of it, suggesting another side to the cliffs . She looked back to the water. It was a deep blue with small waves continuously rising and crashing into the shore. Not too far in the distance was a giant metal ship. It looked to be rusty, or perhaps made of copper. Cora couldn't tell. Something about the place felt very familiar to Cora, but she didn't know why. She shifted her eyes to the sky. How had they gotten here? The sound of voices brought her gaze back down. There was a small boat heading for them. Cora looked to Whitney.

"I have no idea where we are. How did we even get here? This... is crazy," she stated.

Whitney eyed the boat coming towards shore. "Who do you think they are? Are... are we in danger?"

Cora shrugged. "I don't know... maybe they can help us? They've already seen us, and if we ran, where would we run to?" At that thought, Cora took another look around the beach. She didn't see an answer.

Whitney nodded. Cora examined Whitney; she was scared. Her shoulder length dark brown hair hung about her in wet strands. Her pale skin was covered in goose bumps from the water; Cora couldn't tell if thats why she trembled or if it was fear. Whitney's brown eyes met Cora's gaze, they searched for answers. Cora gave her a reassuring smile and stepped closer to Whitney. What was going on? Thoughts of magic and time travel entered Cora's mind. Hadn't they always discussed how awesome it would be to have magical powers or live in different world? Briefly, Cora's mind flickered to God and the strange idea of a granted wish. She shook her head, clearing the nonsense from her mind.

The shouting was suddenly very loud. Cora furrowed her brow; they were speaking a different language. She examined the people in the boat; they were all men and they were wearing mideval-looking armor. It was a bright silver metal that gleamed in the sunlight. Between the plates of armor she could see dark grey chain meal. She was suprised the boat could stay afloat from all the weight of the armor they were wearing. Cora thought she saw a red emblem on the chest plate but the sun was reflecting off of it so bad, she couldn't tell. The men pushed the boat up onto the sand and jumped out. They all had spears in their hands, and they swiftly pointed them at Cora and Whitney. They exchanged terrified looks.

"Wait! We don't mean any harm!" Cora cried out.

This only fueled the men to shout more aggresively. They circled around Cora and Whitney. Whitney grabbed for Cora's hand, gripping it in her own, their bodies side by side. Two of the men came up behind them, rope in hands.

"Wait a minute, we come in peace!" Cora shouted. Mentally she scoffed at herself. '_We come in peace_'? Come on Cora, its not like were aliens. Or, are we? The two men forced Cora and Whitney to their knees, prying them apart, and tying their hands behind their back.

"Cora, what's going on? What are we going to do?" Whitney nervously looked to the men surrounding them.

Cora shook her head. "I don't know." She wish she did.

One of them shoved Cora roughly in the back, and she assumed that meant no more talking. One of the men, who seemed to be the one in charge, gave the others orders. They formed two lines of men on either side of Cora and Whitney, and pulled them to their feet. They began escorting them towards the path that cut through the rocky bluff. Cora heard one of the men speak two words she understood; Guerdo spies. Cora furrowed her brow. Spies? Guerdo? Where were they? And why could she understand _those_ words? Cora's mind began to spin as she looked around her surroundings once more. Guerdo. .. the only refrence she had to that word was a video game series she loved. She looked to one of the guards and strained to see what was on his breast place. She gasped. It was a crest she was too familiar with. It was a bird; two large wings opened up, encircling a triforce. Cora's mind raced. Was she really seeing this? Her mind couldn't believe it.

"Whitney... I think we're in... Hyrule."

Whitney gave her a strange look. "What?"

A guard shoved Cora and said something. Cora looked at Whitney, and then looked to one of the guards breast plates. Whitney followed her gaze. After a few moments she looked back to Cora, her eyes widened and her mouthed dropped open. Cora simply gave her a nod.

They followed the path through the rocky bluff. The guards would occassionally shove Cora and Whitney for no reason. One of the times, this caused Cora to fall and hit her knee on the edge of a rock. She yelled out in pain. Whitney instinctively lunged for her, resulting in a guard catching her by her hair and holding her back; Whitney let out an agonised yell. The guy who seemed to be in charge turned to Cora and let out a boisterous laugh. It was an awful feeling, almost like when you hit your elbow. She squeezed her eyes shut and lightly rubbed her knee. She looked to Whitney and tried to give a reassuring smile. A guard roughly pulled her up and pushed her forward. She limped slightly because the pain hadn't completely gone away. She gave the guards a dirty look.

At the end of the path was a crude wooden carriage surrounded by several horses. Instead of a cloth top it had a flat wooden one, and the back of the wagon had a wooden door, with iron bars running vertically through it. Cora stared. They were prisoners. Though, she should of assumed that after their hands had been tied behind their backs. Cora glanced to Whitney. A guard opened the door allowing the two girls to step into the wagon. There was a wooden bench that ran along either side of the wagon. Cora and Whitney sat across from each other. The guards mounted horses and the wagon moved with a sudden lurch forward.


	2. Chapter 2

The wagon bumped along. It was not a comfortable ride. The wooden bench was not a pleasant surface to bounce on.

Whitney whispered, "What where you saying about Hyrule? Isn't that a video game?"

Cora nodded. "Yes. I thought the place looked familiar. I heard the guards say 'Gerudo', and when I saw the crest on their armor, I was sure then. That beach, it was the beach in Majora's Mask."

Whitney sat back against the wagons wall, shaKing her head in disbelief. "How did this happen? How _could_ it happen?"

Cora thought. "At that shop, that gold piece... when we touched it... remember?"

Whitney nodded. "What was it? This is too weird. Was it some time traveling thing? Like, I don't even know what to think."

Cora shrugged. "I'm just as clueless... There wasn't anything like that in the games that I remember. The only way you traveled through time was with the ocarina. I don't know." She hadn't gotten a good look at it. It had been buried underneath a white cloth, it could of been anything. She had thought it was jewelry, but it could of been an object, the hilt of a sword, it could of been the triforce its self for all she knew.

"How are we going to get back home?" Whitney whispered.

"I don't know..." Cora's voice trailed off. That was a very good question. Could, they get home? "I do know that we first have to work our way through this situation. If I'm correct, those are Hyrule soliders. In the game, they're the good guys."

Whitney scoffed. "Except that they've taken us prisoner."

"It is strange. It could be because, apparently, we speak a different language. That could complicate the matter of getting home, too," Cora explained.

Cora went the rest of the ride silent. She needed to be left to her thoughts. Everything she knew about the Legend of Zelda was running through her mind. At what point in the storyline is she present? Does that even matter? Why is she here? A thought came to Cora. If these were Hyrule's guards, that meant they were probably going to Hyrule Castle. Princess Zelda should be there. If she could just talk to her, or get her attention, I bet she would listen. If anyone knew what was going on, or how to get her back home, it would be Princess Zelda.

It was getting dark; Cora could see the sun setting behind a mountain ridge. The wagon came to a stop. Through the bars, Cora could see the guards circle up, one of them dropping some wood in the middle to start a fire. They all took a turn at stretching and removing some of their armor. With their helmets off, Cora could see their faces better. They all had either blonde and brown hair, cut short. Their features were fairly similiar, but in general, Cora couldn't see anything about them that would suggest they weren't everday people she would see on the street, except, for one detail. Her eyes fell upon their ears; they were long and pointed. Cora reached up and felt her ears; they were still rounded. No wander they thought they were Gerudo's. _That could be a complication_, Cora thought.

One of the guards came to the door, opened it, and said one word. Cora assumed this meant "out". She hoped out of the wagon, silently followed by Whitney. She wandered if they were speaKing Hylian. She guessed it was different from english. The guard took a length of rope, looped it between Cora and Whitneys tied hands, and then tied it to the edge of the wagon. Cora and Whitney sat down on the ground. Cora watched as the guard left them there and joined the other guards in conversation. Whitney laid her head on Cora's shoulder, letting out a tired sigh. The guards began to circle around a small fire. They would occassionally motion towards where they sat. Cora wished she could understand what they were saying.

She started thinKing about the dream she had had lastnight. The women was so stunning, nothing but pure beauty. Cora smelt food and looked up to where the guards were. Her stomach growled. It didn't look like they were going to be eating anything tonight. She thought it was a little strange for Hylian soliders to take prisoners, especially for no reason. She hoped this would all be sorted out.

"Are we going to make it out of here alive?" Whitney asked.

"I hope so. The Hylian soliders weren't really known for being brutal. I think we'll find some answers once we arive at the castle," Cora answered.

"I know I always said I liked adventure, but this was a bit more than I wanted," Whitney said.

Cora laughed. This drew the attention of the soldiers and she quickly quieted down. "I agree," she said.

"Do you think they're going to share?" Whitney said, refrencing the delicous smells coming from the fire.

"Doubt it," Cora sighed.

They sat in silence. After all the tossing and turning from lastnight, Cora was tired. She leaned her head back against the wagon and quickly fell asleep.

_She was standing in the clearing again. She scanned the field for the lady, and sure enough, she was there. She was standing excatly in the center. Cora took a few steps towards her feeling drawn to her. The lady was just as stunning as the first time she had seen her. _

_"Ah, Cora, you've made it," her voice bounced around the field, echoing slightly. Cora furrowed her brow. The lady knew her._

_"Where am I, excatly?" Cora inquired. _

_"Hyrule, of course," the lady answered, her answer echoing._

_Cora paused and thought. Was she just dreaming, her mind trying to grope for answers, or was this something more?_

_"Who are you, and why am I here?" she inquired._

_"I forget you humans dont recognise me.I am Din, the Goddess of power, the Goddess of sand, the mountain Goddess; I have many names. But I am one in the same," Din explained._

_Cora sat down. Her head was begining to spin. This was deifnitely not just a dream. "Why am I here?"_

_Din chuckled. "Simple, because you are needed here, and I brought you here. More will be explained in time, child."_

_Cora was a little irked to be called 'child', but she supposed that compared to a Goddess, she was a child. The image of Din was becoming blurry. _

Her eyes opened at the feeling of someone shaKing her. Still half asleep, she was being pulled to her feet and thrown back into the wagon. She sat on the bench, her head against the wagons wall. Her head hurt. She was hungry and thirsty. She looked at Whitney; she looked about the same.

"Whitney, have you had any dreams?"

Whitney shook her head no. "Why do you ask?"

Cora bit her bottom lip. "I've been having some strange ones. I dreamt about the Goddess, Din."

"Who's Din?" Whitney questioned.

Cora forgot that Whitney didn't know as much about the Legend of Zelda. "Din is one of the three Goddess's that created Hyrule. She told me she brought me here, but wouldn't say why."

Whitney gave me a weird look. "It was just a dream. It doesn't necesarilly mean anything."

"I thought so at first too, but I really think I was meant to dream it," Cora explained.

"Ok... doesn't explain much," Whitney let out a sigh, sounding confused. Cora let it drop; she was sure she sounded crazy. Goddess's? Their whole life they had been raised believing there was only one God, and now they were in a different world, with three Goddess's. Cora shook her head.

Cora wasn't sure how long they had been traveling before she felt a bump, and the sound of the wheels going over wood. Her first thought was the draw bridge outside of Hyrule Castle. She peered out of the bars; she was right. She could hear the horses hooves clacKing across the stone-paved road. She could see the towns people maKing way for the wagon and peering curiously into the wagon before turning back to whatever they had been doing. A few children chased after the wagon, shouting in that same unknown language. Cora wasn't sure why she was shocked by their clothing, she should of expected it. The women all wore ankle-length dresses, brightly colored with artistic stitching along the boarders. All the men wore knee-length leather boots, trousers, and tunics. They were decorated in the same colorful fashion. In a strange way, Cora liked it; the clothing had a festive feel. She felt the wagon turning, and the images of the towns people moving from view.

On either side of her were rows of trees, brightly bloomed in various flowers. Cora's eyes found shades of purple, white, blue, and pink. The air smelt sweet and warm.

"It's beautiful," Whitney said in awe. "Was that Hyrule?" she added.

Cora smiled. "Well, that was Castle town, I think. Hyrule is this whole place."

Whitney nodded in understandment.

The wagon pulled to a halt around the backside of the castle. The guards hurridly opened the wagons door and drug the two girls out. Cora barely had a chance to see the castle. What she caught was beautiful and massive. It was made with identical, grey, stone blocks, and completely surrounded with a beautiful garden. LooKing over her shoulder, she saw that the trees made a beautiful lined path leading to the castle, almost like a red carpet. Flower beds had been planted strategically, either encirlcing the trunks of massive trees, or creating lovely sitting areas. She wanted a better view, but she was pulled inside. She nearly stumbled down the steps that opened up into a wide room. The lighting was dim. There were a few lantern like sconces lit near the entrance. Besides that, the only other light was a massive fire place that was stationed behind a long wooden table.

Even in the dark, Cora could tell that the table's edges had been finely decorated with various carvings. There were several chairs lining either side, some of which were occupied. In one of the chairs, was who Cora could only guess, was the King of Hyrule. He looked powerful. His shoulders were broad, and his skin looked rough and worn. He wore a white tunic that was embelished with beautiful thread, depicting the same crest on the guards armor. He wore a beautiful golden necklace; it comprised of several golden disks linked together. Cora was sure they were beautifully detailed, but she could not see. Over his white tunic was a red robe. It shone, almost like velvet. Upon his head shone a golden crown, in the center was a ruby triangle, golden wings rising from the crown and encircling it. Even in the dim light, his blue eyes shone, though they had a curious vaccant expression.

To the King's right was a man who was wearing a black cloak. He had a severly elongated face that looked slightly comical to Cora. His dark eyes bore into Cora, an amused smile upon his face. The men pulled Whitney and Cora to the front of the table. The guards spoke to the King, who then turned to the man on his right. The man spoke to the King, who vaccantly turned back to his audience, and gave an order. Cora found this odd, but she dismissed it. A guard brought forth a man whos hands were shackled together. He wore a tattered red tunic that barely covered his thin body. His skin was darkly tanned and wrinkly. He gave Cora and Whitney a slight nod of the head.

"Hi, my name Ruul. I am the interpretor," he stated.

Cora's head reeled. "Interpretor? What are you speaKing, excatly?"

The guy looked confused. "Gerudo, of course."

Cora looked at him wide-eyed. "Gerudo? Listen, I'm speaKing English-If I could just explain-"

The man to the right of the King interupted her, asKing the interpretor something. Cora was getting quite frustrated with not being able to understand what was being said.

Ruul turned back to her. "Why have you come to spy? What information you seek?"

Whitney shook her head, chuckling at his broken English. "No, not spies, not Gerudo. We're lost."

Ruul turned to her. "Lost? Where from?"

Whitney opened her mouth and then stopped. She looked to Cora. Cora thought for a moment. "Somewhere far from Hyrule. We... were ship wrecked, and washed up on the beach where you found us."

Ruul relayed the information to the cloaked man. The man jumped from his seat, laughing. He was quite excited about something, Cora wished she knew why.

"Who is he?" Cora questioned.

Ruul ignored her. He nodded to the man, and began to relay a message. "Apep says you failed spies have been captured, and will have punishment. No Gerudo trespass! Word will spread."

Cora was a little confused. She was pretty sure the man had said more, but Ruul's English was failing him.

"Punishment? Can you clarify that?" Whitney sounded annoyed. Cora was sure she was fed up with the poor English, as well.

Ruul shifted uncomfortably. Quitely, he said, "I have said what Lord Apep wished."

Apep? The name was not familiar to Cora, defitnitely not a character from the game.

"No, we're NOT Gerudo. Look at us; I don't see any red hair," Cora stated. She was becoming quite frustrated with all of this.

Ruul nodded. "True, you don't look like normal Gerudo. You are tan," he motioned to Cora, "and you have round ears," he said, referring to them both.

Cora looked at herself. She knew the rounded ears were going to get them in trouble. She was naturally olive-colored, but she wasn't _that_ tan. She looked to Whitney. Whitney was ghostly pale, but those ears. Cora couldn't believe they thought they were Gerudo's. She looked back to the table. The King was still sitting, starring straight ahead. Cora found it quite odd that he hadn't said anything. She felt herself being pulled from behind.

"King! We are not Gerudo spies! Please hear us out!" Cora shouted.

The King ignored her plea. Whitney and her where dragged down the hall, exiting the room. Cora assumed they were in a dungeon, or at least a lower level. The stone walls were darker and slightly moist. They took a few turns before they entered a room that had several jail cells. They were thrown into a cell. Thankfully, they untied their hands, and left them alone in the cell. In the cell was one small wooden cot and a basin that would normally hold water. Cora inspected it, to see that it was empty. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. She was reminded that it had been a day since she had anything to eat or drink.

"Cora, what are we going to do... they think we're spies, what if they kill us?" Whitney looked at her.

"No, no... I don't think they'd do that..." Cora said. She was really unsure. The King seemed so vaccant. They had said 'punishment'. Cora couldn't recall any form of punishment being shown in the game. Whitney and her sat down on the cot. Cora brought Whitney to her and hugged her.

"Don't worry, we're going to figure this out. If nothing else, at least we're here together," Cora said, trying to reassure her friend.

Whitney returned the hug and smiled. "Yeah, that's true..."

A thought occured to Cora. She peered underneath the cot and then sat back up, deflated.

"What are you doing?" Whitney asked.

Cora laughed. "Well, in one of the games, there was always like, a mouse hole underneath the cots in the cells. Except, the whole was big enough for you to crawl through, so..."

Whitney laughed. "No giant-mouse holes?"

Cora shook her head. It had been a silly idea. How, why, would a mouse ever create a whole that big? It had seemed worth it, though. She sat beside Whitney, leaving against the wall.

"We'll get through this. If Din meant to bring me here, I'm sure she'll keep us safe," Cora smiled. Had she just said a prayer?

On that thought, Cora murmurred, "Din, save us."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Cora felt movement beside her. She barely propped an eye open, and saw Whitney rubbing her stomach.

"Are you ok?" Cora asked, immediately concerned.

"Yeah, my tummy just doesn't like not being fed. Go back to sleep, I'm fine," Whitney said, with a grimace, continuing to massage her stomach. Cora didn't have to be told twice to shut her eyes.

...

A cell door slammed shut; the sound of metal on metal resounding through the room. Cora threw her eyes open and sat up in the cot. Whitney was awake and startled beside her. How long had she been asleep? She was loosing track of time. Her heart was racing as she frantically looked about. A man had been placed in the cell next to theirs. Once the guards had cleared away, she realized it was the man from earlier, Ruul.

She sat a moment, waiting for the thundering of her heart to calm down, wishing the pounding in her head would follow suit.

Cora whispered to Whitney, "Let's talk to him."

Whitney gave her a silent nod. Cora cleared her throat.

"Ruul, right?" she questioned.

The man turned to face them, he quivered slightly. He took a few cautious steps towards them, peering around the corner to see if the guards were near.

He nodded. "Yes."

Upon further inspecting him, Cora realized the man had rounded ears.

Cora gasped. "You're a Gerudo?"

The man nodded again. "Yes."

Whitney looked astonished. "Then why are you helping them?"

The man fiddled with his tunic. "They spare my life if I help with communication."

"Whoa, whoa. Spare your life?" Cora asked.

He nodded slowly again. "Yes. I was thief, as most are. I was caught in market taking food. Punishment of death. If I pledge loyalty, and help, no death."

Cora was in awe. Hyrule executes people? Over _food_? That seemed too extreme. They never showed anything like that in the games. But, how accurate where those?

"If you're Gerudo, why can't you talk fluently?" Whitney asked.

"Good question. You speak older version of language. Not common," he replied. He craned his neck around to see if the guards were close. He looked very nervous.

Cora leaned in closer through the bars. "Listen, Ruul. We're not lying when we say we're not Gerudos. We are not from Hyrule. We're from somewhere far, far away. Most of our people have never even heard of Hyrule. We don't know how we ended up here and, Ruul, do you believe us?" Cora asked frantically. She needed someone to believe their story.

Whitney ran her hand through her hair. "We didn't mean to come here, we're not Gerudo, and we're definitely not spies. We didn't want to cause trouble."

Ruul looked between them. "I-I-I... you two _are_ strange…" he stammered. He shook his head and started to say something several times before stopping. He finally looked back to them. "Not safe here."

Cora and Whitney exchanged a look. "Yeah, we kind of understood that," Whitney said.

Ruul said, "Must find Gerudo. They ally. Get no where with round ears."

That wasn't saying much, Cora thought. How exactly were they supposed to get out of _Hyrule Castle?_ Cora rubbed her sleepy eyes. Her stomach growled with an angry passion. She let out a sigh. A thought occurred to her.

"Ruul, have you seen Zelda?" She asked in earnest.

Ruul shook his head no. "No more talk." He shuffled away from the girls, heading to the opposite side of the cell. Cora turned to Whitney, thinking. Is it possible to escape Hyrule castle? The games never really showed the inside, unless you count the destroyed version in Wind Waker; she doubted that it was very accurate. If they could just make it out to the town, it may be possible. She hoped that the market had an alternate exit than just the main gate.

"What are you thinking?" Whitney questioned.

"Well, I was thinking about how possible it would be to sneak out of Hyrule castle. We don't have any weapons, and we wouldn't know how to use them if we did. It could maybe be possible if we made it to the market, but it'd be a long shot just to get there," Cora explained. She wanted to hope that there was another option, but she wasn't sure. Surely, they wouldn't die by the hands of Hyrule's knights. Cora looked about the room. There were no windows; she wasn't even sure if it was day or night. She figured night time would be better for escaping, if she had the choice.

The guards started walking towards Cora's and Whitney's cell; Cora had a brief moment of panic, thinking maybe the guards had over-heard them. Cora figured they were walking too calmly if that was the case; there was an air of leisure about them. Though they still wore their metal shin guards and breast plates, neither of the guards wore their helmets. Nor did any of them have their spears in their hands. Cora found this odd. One of the guards held rope in his hands, and spoke a few words, before quickly motioning for them to come forward. Cora and Whitney slid off the bed, and walked to the guards with shaky legs. The stone floor was chilly against their skin, and their bodies were weak from lack of nutrition.

Cora and Whitney took turns turning their back to the guard, and allowing him to tie their hands. They were lead out of the cell, and through a door and hallway. Cora figured it had to be night time; the halls were even darker than they had been the first time. The air was cold, spreading a blanket of goose bumps across both of the girl's skin. After a few moments of walking, Cora found herself blindly walking up a flight of stairs, and out into the crisp air of night. She looked to the sky; the stars were bright and clear. There was no pollution here, nothing to stop nature from showing off its natural beauty.

Before them stood an all-too-familiar wagon. They were loaded inside. Cora shivered on her wooden seat. She looked down at her clothes; she was wearing a pair of blue jean shorts and a flowy blouse, with no shoes. Not really what she would choose for a chilly evening. She got up and walked hunched over to Whitney's side, plopping down beside her and scooting close. The girls leaned against each other, welcoming each others warmth. Cora stared through the bars on the wagon. They were clacking through Castle town, the horse's hooves thundering loudly; she was sure they rudely awakened several people. She could just see the rumps of two white horses on either side of the wagon. She knew there were more up front. The buildings they passed were dark, only a few still containing the yellow glow of a fire.

The horse's hooves were slightly dulled as they ran across the wooden draw bridge and out into Hyrule field. Cora looked about. It was massive and dark. She couldn't make out any definite shapes; they could have passed a whole town and she would have missed it. The wagon rolled smoothly across the dirt path, the horses kicking up a dust cloud that followed the wagon like an obedient dog. The sound of hooves became a little louder. That was odd; shouldn't they be even quieter on the soft dirt? Cora pandered on that thought. She peered through the bars, straining her eyes in the darkness; she could just barely make out a few dark shapes, following a distance behind. She sat more upright.

Quietly, she whispered into Whitney's ear, "We're being followed. I don't think it's the guards, be prepared."

Whitney answered with a slow, silent nod, sitting upright, too. She joined Cora in staring out the bars, their eyes just barely making out the dark silhouettes of people on horses. She doubted the guards would notice the added noise because it was so slight. Cora wandered who the people were. Bandits? What would they rob from a bunch of Hyrule guards, and who would challenge them in the first place?

Before Cora could further pander it, the sound of horses screeching filled the air. She could hear the guards shouting. She really, really, wished that she could understand them. Without warning, the whole wagon tipped to its side, sending Cora and Whitney spilling to the other side. Cora smashed into the wagon's wall; she was sure that was going to leaving some pretty bruises. The wagon continued to drag on its side for a short distance before entirely stopping. The sound of clashing metal could be heard.

"Whitney, are you alright?" Cora searched for her friend in the dark, looking over her bent body.

Whitney started to right herself. "Yeah, I think so. What's happening?"

"I have no idea," Cora said. Cora looked to the wagon's door. It was slightly bent outward. Cora tentatively pushed it with her foot and found that it gave a little. She gave it a few hard whacks, sending it flying open. She looked to Whitney.

"What do you say we get out of here?"

Whitney responded by jumping up and heading for the door. It was hard to maneuver because their hands were still tied behind their backs. They managed to crawl out of the wagon, and a scene unfolded before their eyes. There were at least a dozen, a dozen and a half worth of people. They were sectioned off in pairs, dueling it out. By the looks of it, the guards weren't doing so well, which was no surprise to Cora, seeing on how they were fighting Gerudos. All of the Gerudo's were women, their red hair shining in the dark. They all wore black outfits; it looked similar to the traditional red, two-piece ones. They were gliding through battle with ease; their feet bounced off the ground, saving them from attacks and yet allowing them an opening all at the same time. It was like watching a dance. The guards moved, and the women both blocked and struck all at once. There were a few Gerudo's running along the perimeters, shooting well-aimed arrows. No one seemed to be paying Cora and Whitney any attention at the moment. Cora looked to her friend.

"Now's the chance. We have to make a run for it. Let's try and stick close," Cora said.

"I agree, let's go," Whitney replied.

They began to hurriedly pick their way through the battle. If anything, this only assisted the Gerudo because their presence distracted several of the guards. Cora found herself jumping over a fallen guard, his face distorted and covered with blood. Cora snapped her eyes in front of her; she couldn't focus on what was happening around her. _Just keep running_, she told herself. That's all they had to do, and they could do this. Cora was sure of it. Her mind didn't bother to ask her what she would do if they got away; she just ran. It felt very awkward running with her hands behind her back, it slowed her pace slightly. Without warning, a Hyrule guard tripped and fell into Cora. It didn't pull her to the ground, just knocked her sideways. Whitney stopped and turned to her.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah Im-" Cora never finished her sentence. At that precise moment, a Gerudo had been standing on the edge of the battle, watching that particular soldier; he was getting to lucky with his attacks, letting too many land. She had notched her arrow, and patiently waited. She saw an opening, and released it. At that moment, he had fallen into Cora, knocking her away, and leaving Whitney standing in front of the guard, her back to the Gerudo. Whitney's eyes and mouth went wide; she fell to the ground.

A red rose was blossoming on the back of her friend's neck. The stem was long and feathered. Precious rose petals began to fall to the ground, forever lost. Cora screamed. Her voice cut through the fight light a hot knife through butter. She fell to her knees by her friend's side.

"Whitney! Whitney! You listen to me; can you hear me? Whitney!" Cora began to sob heavily. The vision of her friend became blurred.

"Cora…I'm scared," Whitney's voice was weak. Where had her friend's energy gone? Where had her bright personality and bouncy voice fled to?

Cora gathered her friend's head into her lap. She brushed Whitney's hair back, and smiled. "Shush, you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. They wouldn't dare try and take us both on."

Whitney showed a weak smile. "They know we're beasts."

Cora choked out a laugh. She could barely see Whitney's face through her tears. "That's right." Cora rocked Whitney's head in her lap, until her friend shut her eyes.

"No, no, NO! Come on Whitney, it'll be ok. Everything will be fine-Whitney! Please, please, just say something!" Cora's chest heaved. She turned away and dry-heaved; there was nothing in her stomach to be expelled. What had just happened? _How _could this happen? Why is her best friend laying before her, unmoving? Cora let her chin fall to her chest as she sobbed. Her blouse was drenched in tears and blood.

Her head pounded and her heart ached. It was such an immediate and unrelenting ache. She felt herself being pulled from behind; she began to fight. She kicked and squirmed, arching her back, everything she could do to try and brake free.

Cora screamed, "No! No! My friend! You have to help her! HELP her!"

A Gerudo peered over Whitney's body, and gave it a slight nudge of the foot. The Gerudo walked away, leaving Whitney's body lying among the many fallen guards, from a world they didn't belong in, far from their real home. Heavy tears streamed down her face. They were leaving her.

She was picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder. Cora stopped fighting, instead, she grieved. She cried loud and heavy sobs.

Repeating Whitney's name over and over. "No, no, no… How could this happen? Whitney!"

She was thrown over the back of a horse, lying on her stomach. A woman hoped into the saddle, sitting behind Cora. The horse began a quick gallop. Cora could barely notice the pain from such an uncomfortable position; her heart and mind were heavy.

...

They rode until Cora could see the sun peeking over the horizon. Her eyes were dry of tears. Her body flopped against the horse. She could barely feel her limbs she was so numb. She kept replaying her last few hours she had with Whitney; they were going to escape. She didn't know how they were going to get home, but they were going to make it. What about Whitney's parents? What will they do if they never see her again? Furthermore, what of Cora's? Will they think the two of them ran away?

Cora stayed silent. The women would occasionally call to each other. Cora figured they were checking in, making sure everyone was still there. All Cora could see was the ground and the horizon behind them. The grassy ground had turned into dry dirt long ago. As they traveled, Cora could tell the dirt was becoming softer, more like the consistency of sand. Cora's eyes felt dry and stiff; she let them close, and drifted into a restless sleep.

...

When Cora awoke again, it was night. The horses were stopped, and she felt someone lifting her up. Her eyes groggily tried to open. Her body was beat. She was bruised, starving, dehydrated, and exhausted. Her eyes couldn't focus. Everything appeared slightly blurred. She saw several heads of red and a dark doorway that they walked through. She felt them take several turns and walk through more doors. The next thing she felt was her body being lowered onto a bed. Though she welcomed the small, soft, comfort, she couldn't enjoy it. Her whole body ached. She felt herself being undressed, but she didn't care, it didn't seem important. A cool, soft sponge was run over her exposed body. A woman brought a ladle of water to her mouth, and she sipped at it greedily. The women refilled the ladle a couple more times before stopping. Cora wanted more and she groaned in protest. However, after a few more moments, her eyes closed, and rested.

_They were playing in a small creek. They thought of it as their own secret place where they could meet and hang out. Cora laughed at her friend and she splashed in the creek with some plastic toys. _

_"We should name this place!" Whitney said._

_Cora laughed. "Yeah! Something secret, that only we know!"_

Cora's eyes snapped open. Her mind was immediately flooded with pain. Both from the memory of Whitney and the wounds her body had suffered. She was in a small room. The walls were a dark tan and looked like stucco. Besides the bed she was laying in, there was also a table that contained a water basin and a sponge. There was a chair in front of the table which her clothes were draped over. Cora felt heat beating down on her. She looked up, to see a window high above the bed. She shifted under the covers; it was getting hot, quick. She let out a groan. She threw off the covers. She was still naked, but Cora was kind of glad. She could examine herself now. Her chest was wrapped in white wrappings, which may explain why it hurt to breathe. Her stomach had a giant purple and yellow spot. Her knee was red and yellow, still healing from the wound the other day. There were several bruises along her arms and shins. She let the covers drop back down. Where was she?

She wanted to get to the water basin, but she felt so weak. She wiggled her toes; good. She slowly flexed her knees; they were so stiff. She sat up in the bed, the covers falling from her. She slowly twisted and let her feet dangle off the edge. She was so short; her toes couldn't even brush the ground. She scooted closer, laying her feet on the dirt floor. She gingerly applied her weight to her feet, waited a moment, and then slowly fully stood. She felt a little light headed, but she slowly advanced to the water basin. She peered inside to see water. She dipped her hand into the basin, and brought it to her mouth, a small pool of water gathered within.

Her door opened, startling Cora so bad she almost fell over. A gerudo quickly glanced to her, and placed a plate on the floor, leaving as quickly as she appeared. The door shut with a loud thud. Cora shuffled to the plate; upon it was a bit of meat, bread, and fruit. Cora slowly bent over to pick up the plate, and made her way back to the cot. Her mouth was watering.

With her bare hands, she picked up the slab of meat and took a small bite. She groaned with pleasure. Nothing had ever tasted so delicious before. She ate slowly, knowing if she went too fast, it could make her sick. She ate all of the meat, and a few bites of the reddish fruit before calling it quits. Her stomach finally felt satisfied. Cora sat the plate in the floor, and lay back on her cot. Whitney's bloody image entered her mind; she rolled onto her side, sobbing. What was she to do without her?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next 48 hours were hard for Cora to understand. She was asleep most of it; her body beaten and exhausted. Each time she awoke, there was fresh food and water, which she indulged in. She would be up for a short while before the heat would make her sleepy and she'd crawl back to the cot. She still had no clothes, though, she was partially ok with this. The days were sweltering; she figured if she had been wearing clothes, she would have stripped them off. Her breasts were covered because most of her torso was wrapped in bandages. When she laid in the cot, she made sure to have the blanket draped across her groin alone; her chest and legs exposed. It was too hot to have anymore covered.

Upon her third day of being there, she awoke to someone moving her arm. Her eyes clicked open and took a moment to adjust. The air was already heated, and the sun shone brightly through the window above her. She sat up in the bed and pulled her arm away. A gerudo's golden eyes pierced into her own. The women silently grabbed Cora's arm, not breaking eye contact. The woman's gaze shifted to Cora's arm, examining her bruises. She dropped that arm and then examined the other. She then looked to Cora's knee. She seemed to be pleased with the healing process. Did they regularly check up on her? Cora looked up, and noticed two other women in the room. One was placing a plate of steaming food onto the table, and the other one was laying out clothes. The clothing were red and in two pieces, other than that, Cora couldn't tell anything else about them.

"Scoot tre do edge." Cora looked, startled, to the woman. What had she said? Cora pulled her legs over the edge of the bed, keeping the blanket over her groin.

The women grabbed one of Cora's arms and said, "Up!"

Cora followed instruction and lifted her arms. Was she safe here? The woman had a funny accent. If Cora supposedly spoke Gerudo, why did the woman sound so different? Her words were different. Her mind immediatly clicked back to Ruul; she spoke an older version of the language. So, communications here could be strained, as well.

The woman started unwrapping Cora's bandages. The woman was gentle as she worked, and Cora was thankful for that. Cora became self-conscious as the layers of bandages fell away, and her olive-toned skin began to show through. Even though she had been healing for several days, it still wasn't a pretty sight. Her chest had several large bruises; she supposed she had broken a rib or two when the wagon tipped over. Her entire stomach was yellow and purple.

"Name?" The woman questioned.

"Cora," she answered quickly. The woman gave her a slight knod.

"My name dis Serene," the gerudo spoke. Cora gave her a knod in return. Cora bit her lip. She was glad that she was understanding most of what was being said, but she was sure the longer a conversation drew on, the more complicated it would get. A thought occred to her: do they know she speaks an older version? She could understand almost everything they said, so she figured they would understand most of what she said.

One of the other Gerudo's walked up to Serene and handed her a jar. Cora saw that it looked like ointment; similar to the consistancy of vasaline. Serene dipped her fingers into the jar, and began to smear it on Cora's bruised stomach. Cora winced but her body was immediatly met with a cooling sensation that slightly numbed the area. Cora let out a sigh; it felt nice. Serene smeared the ointment on Cora's breasts, making her blush deeply. This was a bit awkward for Cora, but Serene quickly moved to the upper part of Cora's chest, just below the neck.

"Garb," Serene said, while motioning to the clothes that were draped over the chair, near the desk. The Gerudo cleared the room, shutting the door behind them. This was a bit strange. Cora stood from the bed and walked to the chair and examined the clothes. It was the classic Gerudo outfit she had seen in most of the games. The pants puffed out slightly as the material went down the thighs, but gathered together at the ankles. Cora slide her legs into the pants. They were a light shade of red with embroidered detail around the ankles. It was a pleasant experience; the material was silky and cool. She held up the top and hesitantly sighed. There wasn't much material to speak of. It was the same shade of red as the pants, but it had a lot more emboridered detail. All acrossed it were half-squares, embroidered in dark reds and blues. The top of it came up and fitted around the neck. She was skeptical on how this was going to go. She gingerly worked her way into it, and carefully pulled it down over her bust and stomach. It was well-fitted on her chest, but it hang loosely over her stomach, leaving half of it exposed. Material went all the way up to her neck. It reminded her of the Gerudo's clothing in Majora's Mask.

She looked down at herself. Her breasts were largely on display. She gave a small bounce, and to her surprise, they stayed in place. That was a plus. She had been worried that every step she took they'd be bouncing everywhere. It felt weird not having a bra on. Though her stomach was relatively flat, she had a pooch. Though, it was hard to see from all the bruising. She noticed that the ointment made her skin shiny. _Great_, she thought,_ now I have shiny bruises_. Over all, she didn't think it was too-attractive of a look. She grabbed the slice of bread that was on the plate and walked back to the bed. She sat down and took a big bite out of it. Whitney was the one who always looked better in a bikini. She could of rocked this outfit; it would of looked beautiful against her pale skin. Cora's eyes brimmed with tears. She began to sob as she ate her bread.

The door swung open and there stood Serene. Cora quickly wipped her eyes and swollowed the bite in her mouth. "Come," Serene spoke.

Cora stood from the cot, placed the rest of the bread on the plate, and walked towards Serene. In the hallway were two more Gerudo's, and in their hands were spears. On their hips she could see the sheath of swords. Cora stood between them, Serene leading them down a hallway. They took several turns, passing several rooms and doors. Some of them opened up to larger rooms, and some of them lead to more hallways. They exited the building they were in. The bright, harsh, sun hit Cora all of a sudden. It was hot against her exposed skin. She was glad she didn't burn-easily, she often just became more tanned. She could see a massive expansion of adobe buildings. They were built upon each other, several doorways leading out to roofs.

She could see several Gerudo walking around; all of them women, and all of them wearing the same style of clothes she had on. They varied in colors and some of the tops were different, but in general, there was a uniform look among them all. The sand was hot against Cora's feet, so she was happy when they didn't stay outside long before they entered another building.

This building was essentially the same as the last. The floor was simply sand, but inside it was cool. They took several turns down hallways. Cora was sure she'd never be able to escape this labryinth. They were heading down a long hallway, and they hadn't passed any doorways or branch offs in awhile. The hallway opened up into a massive room. The floor in this room was a smooth stone. The ceiling was high, and the walls were decorated with gilded swords and daggers. There were red and gold banners that hung along the wall as well. A path was formed by tables and chairs being pushed to either side. There were also giant plush pillows in vibrant colors. The chairs and pillows contained a sleu of Gerudo. They were chatting amongst themselves, or eating at the tables. At the end of the self-made path, was a platform that contained a wooden throne. It had a few ornate, gold features, but for the most part, it was plain. Cora's eyes fell upon the man in the throne, and she swallowed hard. She hadn't expected to see him. There before her, was Ganondorf; a shiver went down her spine. He was mainly clad in black. His tunic and trousers were black, with a peak of a red sash across his waist. He was wearing armor that had both black and gold detailing. He strongly ressembled the Ganon she had seen in Twilight Princess. His whole body was broad and strong. His elbow was propped up on the edge of the throne's armrest. His chin rested on his hand. He stared down the long pathway, his deep golden eyes boring a hole through Cora's body.

The Gerudo escorted her down the path. They recieved glances from every Gerudo they passed, who then turned to the one next to them to gossip. After a few very painful and long seconds, Cora was standing before Ganondorf. His gaze turned to Serene as he began to talk with her. Cora could understand just about every other word or so, until he began to talk faster. It became a blur of sounds to her ears, and she quit paying attention. Her gaze wandered up to the wall behind his throne. A faint outline of a triforce could be seen. She looked to her left and examined the pillows. They looked very silky and soft. She thought it odd for this to be in his throne room. It seemed too sterotypical. Perhaps this was his harem? She had never thought of Ganondorf as a sexual being, but why not? He was king of a race that was primarily women. Why wouldn't he have pick of the crop?

"Answer me!"

Cora's gaze quickly snapped back to the man. The room had went silent. Judging by the volume and bitterness of his tone, Cora assumed he had asked her this several times.

"Umm..." she stammered. What had he asked? "What?"

The man's face went dark. A low, ferral growl escaped his lips. "Shlagslon wench!"

Cora blinked. She wasn't really sure what he had just said, but she had caught the word 'wench'.

"Well, excuse me for not listening to some boring chit chat," Cora rolled her eyes. She then mumbled, "Which I can't understand anyways, so," her eyes fell to the floor, waiting his response.

When the man didn't answer, Cora ventured a glance. His mouth was slightly a gape, and the Gerudo's on either side of her had their jaws dropped. She blinked, confused.

"What?" she asked.

Ganondorf looked over his shoulder and snapped his fingers. A young Gerudo appeared by his side. He gave her an order and she ran off. The two guards on either side of her grabbed Cora's arms and started to drag her back down the path. Why were they being so forceful now? What had he said? She was drug from the room and down the long hallway. As usual, Cora was dazed with the hallways they traveled down, before they stopped at a door. They opened it up and threw her inside before shutting it. Cora landed on the ground and let out a groan. Her body was really not enjoying this adventure so far. The room was completely empty. There weren't even any windows. Just walls and a dirt floor.

Cora walked to the farthest wall and slid down it, sitting on the floor. She was facing the door. She wandered who was going to come through it. Was it going to be Ganondorf? What was he going to do? She tried to draw her knees up to her chest but it hurt to do so. She began to think about what had just happened. It started as a soft chuckle. It quickly began to escalate and she covered her mouth. Of course, she would piss of Ganondorf, theif king, leader of the Gerudo, and over all bad guy. Typical Cora. She laughed until tears were streaming down her face. What would Whitney of said? Whitney would of backed her up the whole way. Her tears of laughter quickly became tears of sadness. She burried her face in her hands and sobbed. She had to get out of here. She couldn't stay here, it was all too painful. What if she did make it home; would Whitney be there? This only prompted more tears.

"Well, well. Why so sad, child?"

Cora gave out a yelp as she looked up. She hurridely wiped her eyes, clearing her vision. Before her were two very old women, on brooms, hovering in the air. How had they gotten there? She didn't remember hearing the door open.

"Can you understand us?" Cora looked to the voice. The women were identical. Except, one of them had a red gem on their forehead, and the other had a blue gem. The one with the red gem had just spoken to her.

Cora nodded.

"Good. Now child, what is your name?"

Cora racked her mind for _their _name. What was it? She could remember twinrova, but what were they separatly?

"Koume and Kotake..." Cora mumbled.

The two women screetched. One of them thrust forth their hand, causing Cora to rise in the air. She screamed. It felt like her whole body was being crushed from every which side.

"Wench! How do you know our names?"

"Perhaps she knows magic as well sister!"

"It takes years of study to be able to read minds, she's not that old!"

Cora couldn't remember which sister was which, but her mind was loosing focus. She felt dizzy from the pain. Tears streaked down her face.

"Nonsense, even we can't read minds sister."

"Yes, yes... no one can best our magic."

"Release her." This voice was much deeper than the others. Cora felt her body hit the ground. She let out a cry, pulling her body into a ball. Her body quivered. Every bruise and sore spot that had been happily healing the past few days were now on fire. Her whole chest ached; it hurt to breathe.

"Ah, son. You've arrived."

"Yes, yes, perfect timing. She is, different."

"Hush, women. Leave us," Ganondorf spoke.

The women looked to each other. They didn't agree with this judgment, but they each snapped their fingers and they dissapeared. Cora shivered on the floor.

The man stood there for a moment, contemplating his next move. He bent down on one knee, and extended his hand to her. Cora looked up to his hand, her eyes peering through her short brown hair that was tousled about her face. She shakily extended her hand; it was tiny in comparison with his. He slowly pulled her to knees, and then her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest. She tucked her hair behind her ears and stood there, quivering.

"You'll have to pardon my mothers, they excite easily," Ganondorf said, a smirk spreading across his face.

Cora kept her eyes on the ground. 'Excite' was one word to describe it, she supposed.

"Can you understand me?" He questioned, sounding irritated.

"I can understand you clearly, thanks." Cora replied.

Ganondorf scoffed. "How do you know our ancient language? It is bizzare for someone to know, especially someone so young..." his voice trailed off. Cora's face hardened. She didn't like where that tone was headed. She peered around the room. She's in an empty room, no windows, God knows how far from people, with an evil war-lord. Cora's body tensed. What was he doing? The only thing Cora could think of was to keep him talking.

"This is the language I have been taught since birth. This is what _everyone _speaks, where I'm from," Cora replied.

Ganon's brow furrowed. "Where are you from? I know of all the Gerudo tribes."

"I'm _not _Gerudo, and I'm tired of stating that fact. I'm from somewhere far, far away, and I was brought here. Unwillingly, I might add," Cora explained. She wandered how much of the story she should explain.

Ganon extended his hand towards her. Cora's body went rigid; ready to do... something. She doubted she could do much in this state. He grabbed her chin and jerked it upwards, exposing her ears.

"You have rounded ears," he stated.

Cora nodded. "Yup, heard that one, too. Listen, what am I doing here? As in, this room, this building. _Why_ am I being kept here?"

Ganon took a hurried step towards her and growled. Cora stepped back, startled. "You dare question me? Do you know who I am child?"

Cora sighed. Again, with the 'child'. "Ganondorf. King of Evil. King of Thiefs. King of the Gerudo. King of this hot desert land. Yeah, yeah. I know who you are."

Ganon smirked. He turned to the door and opened it, and spoke something she couldn't understand. He left the room without another word to her. The door stood awide for a second or two, before two Gerudo came in, and escorted her back to the room she had been staying in for the past few nights.

Once they left her be, she walked over to the bed. The jar of ointment was still sitting on the ground where Serene had left it. Cora dipped her fingers into it and began to massage it into her skin. She groaned from the pain. She was quickly relieved, but the next few days were going to be filled with more soreness. After sitting for awhile, she walked over to the desk. The plate from this morning was still there. Though the meat was spoiled, Cora popped some of the small, round, red fruit into her mouth. It burst into a sweet juice. They were about the size of grapes but much sweeter.

Why was she here? When can she go home? Cora walked back to the cot and gently laid down. She fell asleep, sobbing into her pillow. Sobbing because she missed home, and sobbing because she missed Whitney.

_She was in the clearing. This time, she was sitting in the grass, wearing her Gerudo clothes. The woman in the red  
>approached her.<em>

_"Child, you look a mess," DIn spoke._

_Cora didn't even bother to comment on that. Who's fault was it that she was here, after all? "What happened to Whitney?"_

_Din smiled. "Now, I would of expected you to be old enough to understand the balance of life and death."_

_As tears brimmed Cora's eyes, so did resentment. "I know that she died! I saw her die!" Tears streamed down Cora's face. "But... what about her family?"_

_DIn smiled. "She has died in this life, but her life in her world still remains in-tact."_

_Cora's heart skipped a beat. She's alive? She smiled. "So, if I died here, would I return home?"_

_Din frowned."No child. Do not think about that. You are destined to be here."_

_Din started to walk away and then stopped. "Oh, one more thing before we part." She placed her hand on Cora's head, and a warm glow radiated over her body. Cora felt safe, secure, and at peace._

Cora awoke to the sun beating down on her. She opened her eyes. That damn window. She was sweating and felt nasty. She sat up in bed.

"Oh," she exclaimed. She felt her stomach and her chest. Most of the pain was gone. She remembered her dream, and the warmth washing over her body. Din must of healed her. Somewhat, anyways. There was some stiffness and some soreness of bruises, but nothing like it had been yesterday. She noticed a fresh plate of food on the desk. They were always slipping into her room when she was unaware.

She skipped over to the plate and picked up some fruit. After eating most of the fruit, she took a few big bites of the meat. She had no utensils, so she grabbed it with her hands. She took a couple handfuls of water before feeling satisfied. Right about that time, a Gerudo opened the door.

"Come," she spoke. Cora got up and followed her into the hall. This time, it was just the one Gerudo. They walked down several hallways. Once they went so far, Cora recognised that they were close to the door that would lead them outside. They ran into another Gerudo in the hallway, and the two of them began talking. Cora listened as they chatted, but she couldn't understand most of it. They started laughing and whispering in each other's ears. Cora took this oppurtunity. She took a small step away from them. She took another small step. Then another. She was close enough to the door, she could peer around it. She glanced back to the Gerudo. She looked back outside and saw a couple of horses. They had reins, but they had no saddle. Cora smiled. Good thing she knows how to ride horses. She looked to the Gerudo who were still in deep conversation; she inched around the doorway.

As soon as she had cleared the door way, she sprinted to the horses. The horses hadn't even seen her coming. In one stride, she grabbed the horses mane and forcefully threw her leg over. The horse screetched and tried to rear up. Cora just barely made it on. She kicked the horse in the sides, shouting, "Yah!"

The horse sped off. She passed several Gerudo who started shouting. She was sure the Gerudo who had been escorting her had now been aware of her escape. She laid close to the horses body, urging it on with the occasional 'yah'. A thick cloud of dust followed them. Cora wandered how she would loose any followers. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know what she was going to do once she got away. However, she _was,_going to get away. The horse thundered past all of the adobe houses.

After clearing the grouping of houses, she noticed she was running through a canyon. The walls towered high above her. She gasped in wander. It reminded her of the grand canyon, but instead of being at the top of the canyon and looking down, she was at the bottom looking up. She wandered if a river used to run through here. After she cleared the canyon, she saw a bridge up ahead. In front of the bridge were armed Gerudo. She looked about. The bridge was the only way to get acrossed. This felt very familiar to her. It hit her; Ocarina of Time. When the bridge was gone, Epona had to jump across. She swallowed hard. If epona could do it, why not this horse? And besides, there's a river down below, right? She figured if nothing else, the horse could help break her fall into the water, right? Cora swallowed hard.

As she neared the bridge, she veered the horse to the right. She could see the edge approaching. She could see the confused Gerudo's, and then their understandment of what she was doing. A couple yards from the edge, she kicked the horse in the sides several times, slapping the reins up and down, and shouting, "YAH! YAH! YAH!" as loud, and as hard as she could. The horse hit the edge before it knew what happened. It leapt, it's forelegs ourstretched as far as they could. It's screetches echoed off of the gorges walls. Cora looked below and watched the smill river down below. Her heart was racing. Where they going to make it? She looked forward; the land was approaching. The horses forelegs cleared the ground. It's backlegs, however, barely landed on the edge, and the horse teetered backwards trying to rear up. Cora slung her body forward on the horse, urging it forward. The horse screetched in both pain and protest. It fumbled with its footing before it safely cleared the edge. The horse continued on at a slower gallop. Cora suspected the horse hurt something in the jump; no suprise. She patted the horse on the neck.

"Good boy, good boy," she cooed. The horse continued to gallop. The farther they traveled, the less Cora saw of sand, and the more she saw of grass. The horse slowed its pace on its own accord, and Cora let it. She was sure the poor thing was exhausted, but she had to get as far away as possible. The sun was starting to set, and she knew she should stop soon. She could see up ahead a bluff that reached out over the ground. It looked like there was a nice little nook underneath it that Cora could stop under. She slowed the horse down to a trot, then to a walk. When she was under the bluff she hoped off the horse. She let it be to graze and rest.

She walked to the back wall of the bluff. It was high enough that she didn't have to crouch, and she slid down the wall. She brushed herself off; she was covered in dust. At that precise moment, her stomach growled.

"Ok, so, maybe not the most thought out plan," she said. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. The sun was almost gone, now. She wandered how cold it would get at night. Perhaps she could coax the horse into lying next to her? She'll need food tomorrow. The safest place she could think of was Kokiri Village. Perhaps the Deku Tree was there; he would listen to her plight. She only hoped that the representation of characters in the game had been accurate. She leaned her head back against the stone wall, and fell asleep.

...

The sound of howling filled her ears, followed by the screetching of the horse. Cora's eyes flickered open. She rubbed her eyes and strained into the darkness. She gasped. Wolfos were chasing the horse. It didn't take long for them to notice Cora as well. She got up and started to run from the bluff; she wasn't going to be just a sitting duck. It sounded like there were 4 of them. Maybe 5. Their bodies were gray and black, and they had some nasty looking front-claws. Cora was running as hard as she could, but the wolfos were quickly catching up with her. They howled in unison as they got close, and they started taking swipes at her. Cora was barely dodging them. She wasn't going to be able to keep up this pace; she was sure she was going to trip over something and be sent tumbling down. Maybe she could put up some kind of fight? She stopped and turned around to face the wolfos. At the precise moment, the wolfos closest brought back its paw and slashed it across her left shoulder. Cora screamed in pain, only edging the wolfos on. Three deep slashes made their way across her upper arm. Blood was flowing freely, and she was quickly becoming light headed.

The wolfos began to circle around her, knowing that they had her trapped. Cora looked at the wolfos. So this is how it was going to end? Was she going to be in a lot of pain? She wandered if this is how Whitney had felt.

All of a sudden, a blinding light fell from the heavens, impacting the ground just in front of Cora. The force of it sent Cora flying backwards. There before her stood Din, in a crouched position. She stood and twirled in a circle, like a balerina. A ring of fire erupted around Cora and DIn, setting the wolfos on fire. They cried out in pain before they quickly turned to piles of ash. Din stopped twirling, but the fire remained. She walked towards Cora; every step leaving a burned imprint in the ground.

"Child, you are reckless with your fate," she spoke. "Accept who you are!" Her voice boomed, resonanting across the land.

Cora was sitting on the ground, propped up by her arms. Din looked to Cora's bleeding arm, a small pool of blood beneath her. Din smiled. She reached out her hand, placing it on the gashes. Cora screamed in agony; it burned. Her arm was on fire, her nose was met with the smell of burnt flesh. Din pulled away and chuckled. Cora looked to her arm; it was bloody, but she could tell the wounds were closed. They had been seared shut.

"Now, there is no denying who you are," Din spoke. Din took a step back and titled her head to the heavens. She shot away from the ground in a blinding gold flash, her flames dissapearing with her. Cora sat there for a moment, breathing heavy. Din had just saved her life. She supposed she should feel honored, but she was unsure of what she felt at that moment. It didn't take long before she realized she wasn't alone. A horse winnied, and she looked over to her right. Upon horses, was Ganon and a handful of Gerudo, watching her in awe. Had they seen what had just taken place? Cora sat up and held her head in her hands. What was going to happen now? Was she going to be held captive? Was this part of the plan; was she _supposed_to be on Ganon's team? She always assumed the Goddesses would work against him.

She stood up. As she did, Ganon waved his hand in the air. Cora shrieked as a black glowing band weaved its wave through the air. It circled around her and began wrapping its self around her wrists. She tried to fight it; she wriggled her arms with all her strength, but they bounded her hands together. A Gerudo rode up on a horse, towing a horse behind her. She dismounted her horse and walked to Cora. She roughly grabbed Cora's arm, and pulled her to the horse. Ganon flicked his hand again. The ground left Cora's feet and she was plopped onto the back of the horse with a gust of wind. Cora's head spun to face Ganon; he gave her a hard look. The Gerudo's remounted, and they made their way back to the village, Ganon in the lead.


	5. Chapter 5

The wind forced its self against Cora's skin, bringing with it the sting of sand. She shivered. She never could understand how the air could be so hot and dry during the day, and yet so cold at night. She was convinced the desserts ecosystem had to be the strongest. Even though it was in the dead of the night, she could see just fine. The moon was high and bright in the sky, nothing blocking its light from reaching the sand. 

She stared at the back of the Gerudo's head in front of her. She had her hair pulled into a pony tail, and it swung wildly behind her. She stared up at the stars; they raced past in a blur. There was no fogginess that came with the pollution from vehicles and the every day life of humans. 

They had already passed over the bridge. Looking back, Cora was surprised the horse had made the jump. At that thought, Cora wandered what had happened to the horse. Had the wolfos gotten it? Poor creature. 

Cora could see the adobe village coming into sight. She wished she could remember what it was called. She should pay better attention to what the Gerudo's say around her. Most of the Gerudo broke off and went for the village, Cora, Ganon, and a few Gerudos raced past it. Cora was confused; where were they going now? 

Cora could see sweat laying on the horses skin; their breathing was heavy. She assumed they'd be stopping soon for their sake. They had passed several rock formations; simply boulders sprouting from the ground, seeking freedom, but none compared to this one. Even in the dark, Cora could see the massive mountain. In front of the mountain were several adobe buildings, scattered around. She didn't remember those from the game. She could see several fires burning in front of them. Carved into the mountain was a woman. She was sitting cross legged, her hands resting palm-side up on her legs. She looked like she was meditating. In both her palms burned fires; she didn't remember that, either. At the base of the mountain, Cora could see that there was a large adobe building. Their horses galloped at full speed towards the structure. How many little villages did they have out here in this dessert? 

The Gerudo were breaking off and stopping at the buildings that they were passing. Cora's horse followed  
>Ganon's. <p>

As they neared the large mountain, Ganon's horse came to a stop. He dismounted and turned to Cora, a smirk upon his face. He held her gaze for a moment before turning away. Turning from her, he entered the building. Cora sat on her horse, hands still bound, confused on what to do. She didn't have to wait long before a Gerudo walked towards her. She had a veil over her mouth. She picked Cora up with ease off the horse, and pushed her towards the door. The Gerudo lowered a spear, the tip just barely poking against Cora's back; it was all the encouragement she needed. She stumbled around corners, not sure which way to go. If she tried to go the wrong way, she recieved a smart smack on the arm from the spear. Cora sighed in annoyance. It wasn't her fault, after all. 

The Gerudo suddenly shouted, "Halt!" Cora did as she was told. The Gerudo walked past her, opened up a door, and motioned for her to go in. Cora stepped through the door, it quickly shutting behind her. Cora didn't even have a chance to look around before she felt her feet leave the ground. She shouted and kicked her legs. The bands constricted tighter around her wrists and a black aura began to form around her. It was thin and wispy, like fog. It encircled her body. In seconds it looked as if it began to solidify, almost like glass. It formed panels around her. Cora looked about. She was floating in what looked like, a black, glass, rupee. _Classic, _she thought. She jumped as she heard cackling. She couldn't see them yet, but their laughter became louder and louder. With a bright flash, before her was Koume and Kotake. 

The two sisters sat upon brooms, their black robes falling around them. Their skin had a greenish tint and was wrinkled. Their robes contained white patterns along the hem, similar to Ganon's. They were identical except for the blue gem upon one's forehead, and the red gem upon the other's. 

The one with the red gem moved closer to Cora. 

"Child, we have much we need to know." 

The other sister cackled, "Yes, so much to know! Koume, began extracting the knowledge!" 

Cora looked back to the one with the red gem; so that one was Koume. The blue one must be Kotake. Cora looked down to the floor. She was far enough up, it'd do so damage to suddenly fall. She looked back to Koume. 

"The Goddess Din has taken a great liking to you, child. We need to know why. What do you possess that Din treasures?" Koume circled around Cora as she spoke; she examined Cora's arm and exclaimed. Cora looked at her arm. Where the wolfos had clawed her, there was now a fully-healed scar. Except, the scar wasn't exactly in the shape of the scrape from the Wolfos. The scar had three lines; the top and bottom one had a swirl on one end, and the middle one simple waved. Cora closed her eyes. Din's words echoed in her mind, "_now there's no denying who you are_." Cora had been branded with Din's symbol. Cora wasn't sure what to say. She had no idea why she was here, or what purpose Din wanted her to fulfill. 

Koume shouted in frustrating. A flame came to life in her hand. "My fire will burn you to your bones!" 

Kotake shouted as well, a white mist forming in her palm. "My ice will freeze you to your bones!" 

Cora's heart pounded in her chest. Never in her life, would she of ever thought she'd be dangling in the air, being interrogated by two old witches, who were going to burn and freeze her to death, all at the same time. Perhaps the fire and ice would cancel each other out? What was she to say? She did not know why she was here. Why had she been pulled from her world? How could her world and this one even be linked? Her eyes darted from Koume and Kotake. The flame and mist were forming into perfect balls. Cora could see the elements swirling intesenly within their confined orbs. The witches both held scouls on their face, and each of them started to bring back their hands. 

Cora did the first thing that came to her mind. 

"Wait! Wait! I... I have a message, from Din-but it can only be told to Ganondorf, himself," Cora was a little breathless. She didn't have time to think about the consequences of what she just said, she had to say something. 

"What?" Koume and Kotake screeched in unison. Their orbs of fire and ice dispersed and they looked at each other. 

"You can tell us child," Koume cooed. She attempted to smile sweetly, reaching a hand out to Cora, motioning as if she was caressing her cheeck, but their skin never actually meeting. 

"Yes, yes, _we_ can tell Ganondorf," Kotake added. 

Cora shook her head. "I fear Din's wrath more than I fear yours, and you should too." Cora said it with determnination and a level voice, trying to make herself believe it too. 

"The nerve!" Koume screeched. 

Kotake yelled in frustration. Her and her sister began circling Cora on their brooms, shouting their frustrations at her. In one of Koume's shouts, she shot a ball of flame at the floor. Kotake followed her example. They swirled around Cora, a blur of red and blue. The floor was pelted with shots, leaving behind scortch marks. 

"You think you're something special child?" Koume cried, leaving anothing mark on the floor. 

"You are a beatle beneath our foot! You will obey us!" Kotake screamed. 

Cora closed her eyes, wanting to block out the swirling colors; they were making her head ache. She didn't want to be here. She was so angry. So angry for being brought here, for loosing her best friend and being here alone. So angry for being kept prisoner. Angry, for not having any answers. Angry, for being treated like scum. She felt a fire burning in her chest. All her rage, all her sadness, all her frustration. It felt like the swirling ball of fire that Koume had held in her hand. 

Cora opened her eyes. All her rage flew up through her chest and out her mouth, with one word. 

"Stop." With that one word, a wave of energy radiated away from her body, shattering her glass container. It shot out, colliding with Koume and Kotake, sending them towards the walls. Cora still hovered in the air, breathless. What had just happened? 

Without thinking, she quickly followed with, "I will only speak to Ganondorf." 

Koume and Kotake looked at her wide-eyed. They snapped their fingers, and disappeared in a swirl of blue and red. In that same instance, Cora felt herself lowering to the ground. Her feet made contact with the cool stone floor, and her knees suddenly felt weak. They buckeled beneath her, bringing her to the ground. She sat with a sigh. 

She felt so exhausted, so depleated. Her arms ached from being bounded behind her. She knew she should be thinking about what she was going to say to Ganondorf; she had this fun idea of a little message that rhymed, and could be inturpruted in different ways. However, her eyes betrayed her. She felt herself lean over onto her side, and her eyes shut. 

... 

"Wake up." 

Cora's eyes worked themselves open. How long had she been asleep? A ring of Gerudo surrounded her. She sat up and with the help of a Gerudo, she stood up. In response, the Gerudo lowered their spears at her. Cora looked at them tiredly. She turned towards the door; as a group, they walked out into the hall. 

Cora didn't pay attention to where they were going, because she knew. She was too tired to watch how many turns they took or to take the oppurtunity to look into open rooms. She stared ahead and shuffled behind the Gerudo in front of her. Again, her mind flickered to what she should say. Her mind had grown so weary, she could barely hold onto a single thought. 

They stopped before Cora realized, and she took a few more steps forward, almost bumping into the Gerudo in front of her. Before them were two giant wooden doors; they went from floor to ceiling. They had ornate carvings in them. Cora thought it looked like several stories were depicted in the wood. 

The doors opened outward, causing the Gerudo to part. They strategically made a path way for Cora to walk through, and she did so. When she entered the room, the great doors shut behind her. 

She looked around in awe. 

It looked like a giant study. The ceiling was high, giving the room a grandur feeling. There were walls lined with book shelves and in the center was a giant fireplace; it was surrounded by a beautiful black stone. There was a desk along one wall that had books stacked neatly upon it, yet, paper thrown aimlessly about. There was an open doorway into another room she could not see. On the walls hung banners similar to the ones in the adobe village. 

"You admire my things?" 

Cora jumped at his words. Her eyes searched for him within the room. He stood before a window, his back to her. He whipped around to face her, his robes flowing about him. He held a smirk upon his lips. Cora took a deep breath. 

"Your things are fine," she answered. 

He cocked an eyebrow. Changing the topic, he spoke, "What you did to my mothers was not kind." 

"What they did to _me _was not kind," Cora spat back. 

He erupted into laughter. The sound bounced off the walls and sent shivers down Cora's back 

"You've got a quick tongue, child. That can be dangerous." His eyes were very serious now. They were fixated on Cora, watching her every move. She made a good attempt at keeping her facial expression calm. Her legs, however, betrayed her. They quivered beneath her, and upon almost falling, she stumbled to the side. Ganon waved his hand, bringing the chair from the desk flying forth. 

"Sit," he comanded. 

Cora willingly obliged. She sighed in relief. Her strength was leaving her. Cora bit her lip in thought. 

"Could you undo my hands? They ache," Cora asked. She wandered how dangerous that had been, to request him to do something. 

Ganon studied her. "And what if you desire to attack me as you did my mothers?" 

Cora shook her head. "I didn't mean to do that. And, I honestly don't think I could do it again." she paused in thought. "Are you afraid that I could hurt you?" she asked sarcastically. 

He growled. "My power is beyond what your mind could ever imagine." 

Ganon snapped his fingers, the bands around her wrists vanishing. She groand and slowly brought her arms to her lap. She rubbed her wrists and rolled her shoulders. 

"Thanks," she mumbled. 

Ganon huffed in response. He waited a moment before speaking. 

"What is this message you have?" He asked. 

"Wow, news travel fast around here, huh?" Cora bit her lower lip. What was she to say now? She needed something that sounded clever. 

"That... you can't win without me," Cora said. It was the first thing that popped into her head. 

Ganon's jaw dropped slightly. Cora studied him. It wasn't a surprised jaw drop, nor a jaw drop od admiration. More of, a slight jaw drop of contempt. Contempt for her? He took a few steps towards Cora. "What did you say?" His voice was low and even. It struck more fear in Cora than if he had shouted. 

Cora stayed calm and simply repeated, "You can't win without me." 

Ganon let out a low growl. "I don't need a child's help! What is Din thinking?" 

Cora's mind was racing. She tried to act completely normal, despite the nonsense she knew was about to have flow from her mouth. "I am not from this world. Din brought me here, to you, for a purpose. Despite my views on the subject." 

Cora crossed her arms. 

Ganon glared at her. In an instant, he was right in front of her face. His glaring eyes bore into hers. Cora met his gaze with her jaw set, and a determined stare in her eyes. 

In a very low tone, he said, "You dare, try and speak against me? Do you even know who I am?" 

With a tone to match his, Cora replied, "I know excatly who you are, and I am not afraid of you." 

Ganon took a step back and studied her. Cora's heart was racing. Where was all this coming from? She was glad she had some form of talent to think on the spot. Her head was pounding, for some reason beyond Cora's grasp. She felt very weak and slightly dizzy. 

"You look ill," he observed. 

Cora sighed. "What happened with your, er... mothers, was not intentional." She rubbed her temple. Since when is he the concerned one? 

He approached her and grabbed her arm, examining her scar. Almost as an after thought, he said," It seems your own worst enemy is yourself." 

"What?" Cora looked at him, confused. 

"Gerudo," he spoke towards the door. Two women entered the room and promptly made their way to Cora. She looked up to Ganon. 

"What are you doing?" she asked him. Each Gerudo grabbed one of her arms, pulling her to her feet. They pulled her towards the door. 

"Wait! Where are they taking me?" she shouted. She was really tired of been pulled and pushed around. She was not cattle, and she didn't appreciate being herded. They pulled her out of the room and into the hallway. She fought against them trying to free her hands, but they were much stronger than her. They had to practically drab her through the halls, but they didn't seem to mind. 

Once again, Cora was brought to a room. She was thrown into it with none of her questions answered. She looked around. It was a massive bedroom; not what she had expected. The walls and floor were made from a smooth white stone. Cora couldn't wait to see it in the day light, she knew the sun must reflect off of every surface. There was a luxusrious bed, probably queen sized. It was covered in white linens. The boarders of the blanket had the same square designs that the hems of her pants did. At that thought, she looked down at herself. Besides the bed, there was a vanity and a door way that led out to a balcony. Cora ran to the door. She bursted out onto the balcony, the cool nights air hitting her. She took a deep breath, bringing in all the fresh air. She peered over the balcony edge and gasped. She was very high up. She didn't even remember going up any stairs. 

She walked back into the room and made her way to the bed. She sat down and examined her arm. The scar looked like it had been there for years, not hours. She was locked up in a room in the dessert, held captive by a band of people known for theiving, and headed by an evil king. She was a damsel in distress alright, but she wasn't liking this fairy tale.


	6. Chapter 6

Cora awoke to the sun piercing through her eyelids. She squinted against the bright light, confused. Remembering where she was, she violently sat up in bed. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she looked about. She had been correct; the sun was reflecting boldly around the room. The walls reflected the brilliant white light. The whole room was bright, airy, and it brought a smile to Cora's face. 

Rising from the bed, she walked out onto the balcony. The air was warm and dry. It must of still be early, because it was not quite hot yet. Cora looked below to the ground. She could clearly make out all the buildings. Gerudo were already out, busying themselves with the horses or whatever work they needed done. 

She looked down at herself and sighed. She was dirty; her clothes were covered in dust, her hair was stringy, and her skin carried a layer of dirt. She wandered if she'd be able to bathe, and perhaps have a new change of clothes. She bit her lower lip in thought. 

She made her way back into the room, and towards the door. She reached for the door handle, and paused. Would it be locked? She grabbed the handle, and twisted, suprisingly, it turned at her will. She pulled the door open, to be met with a Gerudo standing before her. Cora stood there for a moment, waiting for what was going to happen. 

When she realized the Gerudo wasn't going to do anything, she asked, "Can I possbily bathe? I'm filthy. And have clean clothes?" 

Ther Gerudo turned around and started walking. Cora stared at her in confusion. She quickly shut the door and hurried to catch up with her. 

"Are we, going to the baths?" Cora questioned. 

The Gerudo ignored her and kept walking. Cora sighed, this could be a long walk. She followed the Gerudo silently. Along the hallway were torches and the occasional banner. Her eyes studied one; it was red, with a gold triforce in the center. Around it were swirls of gold, branching off into the same square-like designs. It was very ornate and very formal feeling. It felt out of place in these dirt halls. 

Cora followed the Gerudo down a flight of stairs. Cora could imediatly feel the temperature change, it was much cooler. They walked into a room that opened up into a square. Steps led down to a massive pool. Cora could see bubbles breaking the surface of the water, so she assumed it was a spring of some kind. The water its self held a light green hue. The Gerudo grabbed a bottle of red liquid and brought it to Cora. Cora twisted off the top and smiled; it had a warm smell of flowers in the middle of spring. She couldn't quite place the scents, but they mixed together beautifully. 

She walked down the steps to the edge of the water and turned to see the Gerudo still starring at her. 

"Can I get some privacy?" Cora asked. When the Gerudo didn't change her stance, Cora sighed. She turned her back to the woman. Cora quickly pulled down the silk pants, threw them to the side, and walked waist-deep into the water. She wiggled her way out of the top and tossed it ontop of the stairs. She took a few more steps inward, and then did a shallow dive into the water. 

The water rushed over her body in a cool wave. It felt greatly refreshing. Cora always loved the water. Her family took many summer vacations to the river; she'd end up snorkling for hours. The thought of her parents sent a pang through her chest. She broke the surface of the water and pushed her hair away from her face. She noticed the Gerudo was now standing on the steps peering into the water; upon seeing Cora break the surface, she gave Cora a scowl and walked back to her post. Cora stared at her in confusion; what had she done wrong? 

Cora made her way to the steps and reached for the soap. She emptied some of the contents into her hand and began to massage it into her hair. Cora let out a groan of relief. It was a lovely sensation to know that her hair was going to be clean. She made a conscious effort to have her back to the Gerudo. It was painful enough to have to be naked in front of her. 

Cora finished giving her skin a thorough rub down and then turned back to the Gerudo. 

"Fresh clothes..?" Cora questioned. 

The Gerudo nodded towards a pile of clothes on the floor. Since when had those been there? Cora paused. She was going to have to get out of the water to get to them. She glanced at the Gerudo. 

"Can you at least turn around when I get out of the water?" Cora questioned. 

The Gerudo gave her a hard look. 

"Really, where am I going to go? And what could I possibly do?" Cora stated. 

The Gerudo slowly turned around, adding in a grunt for the effort. Cora rolled her eyes. She quickly climbed out of the water and ran towards the clothes; she quickly examined them. This time, they were white, and not quite the same design. The pants cut off at the knees, and they were airy, not fitted. Cora slipped into them. The top tightly fitted around her breasts, and had sleeves that slouched on her shoulders. She had some difficulty getting into it, her skin still being wet. She kind of liked the top, if only it wasn't so tight and actually covered her stomach. She felt more exposed in this one. Namely because none of her stomach was covered. 

She turned to the Gerudo, and was relieved to see she still wasn't looking. 

"Ok, I'm done. Thank you for not starring," Cora said. 

The Gerudo turned to her and smirked. She turned to leave the baths. Cora furrowed her brow; she could of been more friendly. She wasn't sure what she should do with her dirty clothes, so she left them in a pile. Cora jogged to catch up with her. As soon as they entered the hallway, they passed several Gerudo, and they all laughed and pointed at Cora. She was even more confused now; what was so funny? Cora looked at herself, nothing was exposed, well, nothing that would be unaccecptable around here. She did not understand. 

Her Gerudo escort stopped, and switched off with another. 

"Hello Cora," the Gerudo spoke. 

Cora smiled, as she realized who it was. "Hi Serene. It's nice to see a familiar face." 

Serene smirked at her. "Lovely clothes you wear." 

"What exactly is so funny about them?" Cora asked. 

Serene paused. "Well, the pants, are mans pants." 

Cora rolled her eyes. "Naturally." 

"Come, it is time for mid-day feast," Serene spoke. 

On that thought, Cora's stomach growled. She hadn't even thought about food yet. She followed Serene through more halls. Being later in the day, more Gerudo were out and about, and they were passing several along the halls. Cora felt a little hurt, a little hurt that the Gerudo woman felt the need to mock and humiliate her. Though, the fact she was wearing mens pants didn't really bother her, it was just the idea of what the Gerudo had done. 

Serene led her into a long room. In the center was a table that stretched the length of the room. Small stools were pulled up to either side of the wooden table. The table was already filled with various plates of meat, fruits, bread, and cheese. The table was lined on either side with Gerudo. Two small children suddenly came running past her, running to their mothers somewhere at the table. They had startled her; she hadn't thought about there being children. Above the tables were three chandeliers, that were filled with lit candels. 

Cora noticed that at the head of the table sat Ganon. Unlike the village, his throne here was golden. Cora thought she saw the hint of red fabric between all of his black clothing. He was in conversation with Koume and Kotake. Cora quickly looked away; she did not like those women. Serene led her to two open seats. As they passed the Gerudo, they snickered at her. Unknown to Cora, this brought Ganon's attention to her. His eyes passed her over, then he turned to Koume and barked a stern order. Cora glanced up as she saw Koume escorting the Gerudo that had been with her all morning, out of the room. Cora wandered what that was all about. 

She sat down on her stool, and looked at the food. It all looked pretty appetizing, minus the pork. Cora wasn't a big fan of pork. However, she could down some more of those delicious red fruits and bread. Cora followed Serene's example when it came to grabbing food. Thankfully, Serene took charge of grabbing the food that was out of reach for Cora, because none of the Gerudo wanted to pass her the food. 

After eating their fill, Cora soon realised the Gerudo indulged in conversation after meals. Cora turned to Serene. 

"Why does everyone dislike me?" she questioned. 

Serene shrugged. "You are an outsider. Many think you were spy." 

"A spy? You're kidding me. From where?" Cora asked. 

"Hyrule," Serene replied. 

Cora shook her head in disbelief. "You know, they had me captive first. And _they _thought I was a Gerudo spy. Seriously, how do I possibly look like a spy?" 

Serene smiled. "You are funny, Cora." 

Cora smiled. "I'm glad you think so. Anyways, it's nice just having someone to talk to. So, thank you." 

Serene nodded and then turned from her, to talk with a Gerudo beside her. Cora took this time to examine some of the Gerudo. They had all but forgotten that Cora was even at the table at this point. Most of them were laughing; Cora wished she knew at what. She watched as two children rolled what looked like a marble back and forth on the table. She laughed as one of them catapolted it with a spoon clear across to the other side of the room. They gave chase of the marble, followed by several scoldings from different Gerudo. 

Cora looked up the table, her smile faltering from her face, as she realised Ganon's eyes were fixated on hers. Cora held his gaze. After a few moments she put on a sarcastic smile and waved up to him. He scoffed and looked away. 

She turned to Serene, lightly tapping her arm. Serene turned her golden eyes to Cora. 

"So, will dinner be like this as well?" Cora asked. 

Serene replied, "No. We don't really eat dinner. Small, like, fruits and bread. Night is usually when we work. Unless we celebrate." 

Cora nodded. "That makes sense." It did make sense. If they were truly theives by trade, what better time than at night? 

Serene asked, "Are you done?" 

Cora nodded. Serene stood up from the table, and led Cora out of the dinning hall. Cora quickly realised that Serene was leading her back to her room. 

At the door, Serene said, "There will be a Gerudo here shortly. Spend time in room, yes?" 

Cora gave a small nod and entered her room. Cora noticed that someone had been there; the bed was made and there was a pair of pants draped over the edge. Cora went to inspect them. They were the normal pants that a Gerudo woman would wear, and white. Cora smiled. She slipped out of her man pants and into the new ones. They were cool against her skin. She perferred these; the top of the pants had a golden band. She liked the gold accents. 

She walked over to her vanity. 

"Oh dear," she exclaimed. If they hadn't been snickering at her for her attire, they definitely could of done it because of her hair. It was a wild mess that was going in every which direction. There was a brush on the vanity and nothing more. Cora worked it through her hair but it didn't improve the condition much. She let out an exhausted sigh; there was nothing more she could do for it. 

She looked about the room, not sure what she was going to do. Her eyes fell upon a small book shelf, tucked away in a corner. She was surprised, she hadn't noticed it before. She hurried to it and browsed the books. There was a red one that caught her eye. The binding had the golden triforce on it. She pulled it out. It was a bit dusty, but it intriged her. She walked back to the vanity and sat down in the seat. It was a small book, only consisting of maybe ten pages. 

Cora opened to the first page, and began to read what it stated. Though she couldn't understand all the words, she could understand most. She was reading a story she had heard several times before, with a few elements that were new. 

_"Din, with her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Her and her sisters brought life and order to the is said that DIn's leaving place was the Gerudo dessert. She ended her journey there, and it is rumored she lingered there longer than the rest. The desert is fabled to have once been Din's favorite place, and thus blessed upon more so. It had fertile ground that held flowing waters and rich, blooming, dessert plants._

_The Gerudo people continue to honor Din and her knowledge to keep in balance all of the terrain. It was not until a great evil fell upon the dessert that it became desolate and void of life. Still yet, the people held on hope. They await for her to restore the balance of their land."_

Cora paused in her reading. She flipped through the next pages, to see that it went on to explain Nayru and Farore, as well. It was an interesting view that Cora had not heard before. She wandered how much truth there was in it. She shut the book and pandered. A knock at her door startled her. 

She quickly walked to the door and opened it. Before her stood a Gerudo. 

"I'm to escort you," the Gerudo spoke. 

"Escort me where?" Cora asked. 

The Gerudo didn't answer, but simply waited for Cora to walk into the hall. Cora rolled her eyes and obliged. She followed the Gerudo. She was getting good at following, even when they suddenly changed direction. Cora suddenly realised where they were, when she was once again, standing before two giant, wooden doors. One word filled her mind, _Ganon._

The doors once again opened up to her, and the Gerudo backed up. Cora slowly walked inside. The doors closed with a low 'thud'. Ganon was sitting at the desk, his back to Cora. He was hunched over what looked like several pieces of parchment. 

"Sit," he spoke. 

Cora noticed a chair next to his desk. Cora walked to it, her feet barely making a noise on the stone floor. She sat in the chair. It faced the door, so that she was essentially facing Ganon, just slightly to his left. He was reading the parchment. Cora couldn't see it well enough to know what it said. His eyes glanced over to her and then back to the parchment. 

"I see you are wearing proper clothing, now," he commented. 

Cora was confused for a second before remembering that she had changed her pants. "Oh, yeah. A Gerudo laid them out for me." 

She sat there for several more moments in silence, wandering what was going to happen. The room felt unusually silent. The only noise was the occasional shuffling of parchment, and the breathing. Cora could hear Ganon's breaths. She could hear the slight creak in the armor he still wore when his chest pushed against it. She could hear the air rushing from his nose. It was almost more than she could take. 

"Why am I here?" she demanded. 

Ganon looked up at her. "You're going to be here for awhile," he replied. 

"Really? That answers nothing," Cora said. 

Ganon leaned back in his chair, and scowl on his face. "I need to know more about what you know." 

Cora crossed her arms. "Well, you have a funny way of going about it." 

Ganon huffed. Through gritted teeth, he answered, "I was in no hurry." 

Cora's eyes fell back to his desk and the scattered parchment. "What are you reading?" 

Ganon took a moment and studied her. Cora kept her gaze fixated on the desk, fully aware that he was starring at her. 

"They are reports from my Gerudo tribes," he replied. 

Cora bit her lower lip in thought. There had been something that had been on her mind ever since she had arrived here. Something she had always been curious about, but hadn't had anybody to ask. 

"Why did you attack the wagon?" Cora asked. 

Ganon cocked an eyebrow. "What wagon?" 

Feeling irritated, Cora balled her hand into a fist. "The wagon that I-" she stopped. She had almost said _that I and Whitney had been in. _She took a deep breath. "The wagon that I had been in. Why did you attack it?" 

Ganon crossed his arms. "The word had spread that Hyrule guards had captured two Gerudo spies. We were also told that they were going to be transporting you soon, so we just sat and waited. But, clearly, the information wasn't too acurate, was it?" he ended the sentence laughing. 

Cora looked at him. "What do you mean by that?" 

Ganon looked at her. "You are not a spy, nor Gerudo, and there was only one of you." 

Cora's heart skipped a beat. What had he just said? Had he not known? 

Cora's expresson went dark. "I did _not _come here alone." She gritted her teeth, thinking about what to say next. Forcefully, she added, "My friend was with me, but _your _Gerudo killed her." 

She had barely been able to spit out the last bit; she was afriad that her eyes would betray her and spill tears. She clenched her jaw and swallowed hard. She will not cry in front of him. 

Ganon studied her expression. "Is that why you cry?" 

Cora's eyes flashed to his, enraged. "What?" she exclaimed. 

Ganon smirked. "_My Gerudo,_ tell me that you cry in your sleep. They say you are quite fitful." 

Cora's eyes were locked with his. She did her best to try and convey the anger she felt through her expression. 

"I cry, because I am left in this world without a companion that I actually enjoy the company of. I cry, because I am forced to live among the very people who _killed _my best friend. I cry, because I am stuck-stuck here, a prisoner," Cora answered. She was doing her very best to fight back tears now. She closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath, trying to calm herself. She would not allow one single tear to slide away from her eyes. She opened her eyes to look at Ganon. He was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. She waited for him to reply, and when he did not, she shifted her gaze to the floor. She couldn't stand looking him in the eye for very long; he only infuriated her. 

How could Din expect her to work with him? It still wasn't even clear to Cora why she was even here. 

"That's enough for tonight. You will return here every evening," Ganon stated. 

The great wooden doors opened, and two Gerudo appeared. Cora stood from the chair, and walked towards them, never taking her eyes off the floor. She followed the Gerudo back to her room. Her eyes studied the floor the entire journey; it gave her a dizzy feeling. 

Upon entering her room once more, she crawled into her bed. The sun had long since set, and the room was dark and cool. She stared out the doorway to the balcony, she could just see a hint of the stars. In the confinement of her room, she let out all her anguish. Only the feather-filled pillows would know of her silent tears this time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_This dream was diferent than most. This time, Cora was Din. She saw through her eyes and felt her thoughts. _

_Her sisters and her had decided to fall upon the choas of this world, and bring it to order. She felt a warmth along her arms, and as she flew, her flames scortched the earth. It ridded the ground of the chaos and brought forth fertile land and budding plants. Her flames scortched the path that rivers and creeks would follow. Everywhere she flew, everything her flames touched, sprang to life. She gave life to the earth._

_Her work was finished when she created the desert. It would be her final journey. Her flames scortched the ground, leaving behind ashes that fell into grains of sand. She felt more at peace here in the dessert, a land that thrived off of the suns blazing heat. She had created a major river that snaked through the dessert, giving just enough life, just enough nutrients. When she was finished, she paused, and admired her work. She gave another sweep of her arm, setting all the cati in bloom. She flew to the heavens._

_In her ascent to the heaves, she collided with her sisters in a blinding flash of gold, each leaving behind a piece of themselves. These pieces formed the triforce, and it descended to the land now known as Hyrule. _

Cora sat up in her bed, heart racing. It was a peculiar dream that sent Cora's thoughts swimming. The dessert had had a river? That would certainly change things. She recalled the dream; _giving just enough life, just enough nutrients. _What had gone wrong? She remembered the book saying that it all left when a great evil fell upon the dessert. Is that why she was here?

She left her bed and went to the vanity to inspect her hair. It was lying more naturally now, but for good measure, Cora further smoothed it out with the brush. It had grown some, instead of clearing her shoulders by a good two inches, it now grazed them. She stuck out like a sore thumb with her dark hair. It was no wonder everyone questioned where she was from; she looked like some kind of Gerudo-Hylian hybrid. Though, she supposed most Gerudo were created by Hylians. How did they always manage to keep their Gerudo characteristcs? Cora found it a little fascinating.

She spent most of the morning in her room. She was reluctant to leave and she wasn't sure why. She browsed through the other books, but they were uninteresting. She went out to her balcony for a long while, just watching the Gerudo below. There were only a few children she saw, perhaps the same she had seen the night before. She assumed most of them would be at the village. She wondered what the criteria would be for a Gerudo to have children. After being up for several hours, the sun was well on its way to heating up the earth. It made Cora feel drowsy.

After only a few hours of being awake, Cora crawled back to her bed, and fell to sleep.

_Cora stood in a familiar was standing in the center, her flaming red hair flowing about her face. Cora walked towards her._

_"Hello, child. Do you sleep well?" Din asked._

_Cora laughed. "Well, you should know."_

_Din smiled. Looking very serious, she said, "We need to talk, child."_

_Cora stood before her now. "What about?"_

_Din motioned towards the grassy floor. "Sit, please."_

_Cora sat on the ground, indian style._

_"I need to make clear, the ergency of the situation. Your instincts may tell you to rebel, they may tell you to close your ears and not listen, they may tell you to turn away, but you must disregard them. If it is consolation, I assure you, Ganondorf is on the right side," Din explained._

_Din's voice captivated Cora's attention. She couldn't look away if she tried. The voice resounded off of every surface and filled Cora's ears. _

_"For the sake of Hyrule and all it's people, please tell me you will try, child. You must try," Din asked._

_Cora nodded. "I will try."_

The visions of Din and the grassy clearing seeped away from Cora's vision. Instead of Din's beautiful voice, the sound of knocking filled her ears. She quickly left the bed and ran to the door. Before her was Serene.

"Time for food," Serene explained. Cora followed Serene to the dining hall. Cora couldn't believe she had slept most of her day away. She supposed it was better than simply sitting in her room all day, though.

As the entered the room, Cora imediatly noticed that Ganon's throne was empty.

"Where is he?" Cora asked.

Serene looked to the empty throne. "Probably with Koume and Kotake," she replied.

Cora disregarded it and sat upon a stool. She laidened her plate with fruit and this time, chicken. She was glad there was a little variety in the meat. Though, she seemed to be the only one not enjoying the giant boar on the table. She passed this meal away in silence, taking silent pleasure in eating her food. However, instead of being lead back to her room after eating, she was brought directly to Ganon's doors.

"Is it that late, already?" Cora asked.

Serene replied, "The sun is decieving. It stays longer in the sky here, though time keeps passing."

The doors swung open, and Cora entered. She turned to look at Serene as the doors shut.

This time, Ganon had two chairs staioned in front of the fire place. A small fire was burning in it as the air wasn't quite cool enough yet. He was in his usual black attire, though, tonight his breast plate and armor were off. He sat in the chair facing Cora, his elbow propped up on the arm of the chair, starring at her. Without being asked, Cora made her way to the chair. She took her seat; it was so large, she was able to draw her legs up to her.

Ganon rubbed his eyes; he looked tired. "I've decided, to try another approach."

Cora cocked her eyebrow for a change. "You have?"

Ganon's eyes flashed to her. "I have faith in my Goddess, and I must have faith that you are of some use."

Cora rolled her eyes. She took a slow breath. She had told Din that she would _try_. She had made no promises.

Ganon continued to talk. "Simply, there are things going on in Hyrule, things that I am not pleased with. Another hand is at work here, and I don't know, yet."

Cora thought back to her time at the castle, and said, "I think I may of seen him."

Ganon looked a little surprised, "_Seen _him?"

Cora nodded. "Yes, the guy who's causing the problem. When I was captured by Hyrule guards, they took my friend and I to see the king. Accept, it's like he wasn't there. His expression was vaccant and he didn't speak. His advisor, however, did all the speaking. His name was Apep. He looked shady."

Ganon rubbed his eyes again and thought. "It would make sense. The king has been making choices, that are, out of character for him. He attacked one of my tribes along the coast, for no reason."

Cora kept her smirk to herself, because she highly doubted it was for no reason.

"I've been dealing with that all morning," Ganon added. So that's why he looked so tired, and why he was not in the dining hall.

They spent the next few moments in silence. Cora wasn't sure what to say. He looked so weary, it seemed so out of character for _him_.

"You can use magic?" Ganon questioned.

Cora lightly laughed. "Uh, no. Like I said, what happened the other night, was not intentional. I was just so... so angry." Cora looked away. She really did not like Koume and Kotake.

"I'm just trying to figure out what kind of use you're going to be child," Ganon said.

"Ok, really. _Enough _with the child. I am not a child. And frankly, I'd like to know of what use I could be here too, because I'm starting to feel like it's all pretty pointless and I'd like to go back home," she shouted. The longer she talked, the louder she got, to the point where she was now standing and screaming in Ganon's face. Her breathing was heavy and she could feel that her face was flushed. He looked at her and laughed.

Cora plopped back into the chair, exasperated. This was not going well. The man infuriated her everytime they spoke. How did Din expect her to work with him? She wondered herself what use at all she could be. She was so glad that her feelings were funny to him.

"You can leave for now," Ganon comanded.

Cora stood from her chair and huffed towards the door. As she approached it swung open, revealing her escorts. She really didn't understand why she needed escorts. Cora wasn't sure she could make her way around without them still, so maybe that was why. She smiled; or perhaps it was that she had already escaped their clutches once before.

She was returned to her room, and once again, night had descended. She hadn't realize she had been gone that long. She plopped down on her bed, feeling exhausted. Though she had slept most of the day away, Ganon drained all the energy she had.

...

She awoke early the next day. There was a plate of fruit and a fresh pair of clothes laid out. Cora felt uncomfortable with that; they could easily slip into her room without her knowing. They were thieves, after all, so they should be good at sneaking, but all the same. Cora made her way to the fruit and ate a few handfuls. The outfit was the classic red. She threw her dirty clothes in a pile and slipped into the clean ones. It was nice, still exposed her stomach way too much to her liking, but she kind of liked the white better.

There was a sudden knock at her door. _Already?_ she thought. She opened the door to a Gerudo with a veil over her mouth.

"Come with me," she spoke.

Cora followed her out of the room. They were taking a path Cora was not familiar with. She was pretty sure she could get to Ganon's room and the dinning hall with no problem now. They walked through a doorway and Cora had to squint her eyes; they were now outside. The sun felt good against her skin, which had tanned up a little bit. She followed the Gerudo between two buildings. Behind them, was a large arena. It looked as if it might of been a large corale at one point. In the center, stood Ganon. The Gerudo walked back to the entrance, and blocked the opening.

Cora walked towards Ganon.

"We're going to test your abilities," he explained.

Cora shook her head. "I told you, I've never done anything like that except that one time."

Ganon raised his hand as if to silence her; Cora huffed in annoyance.

"Now, focus on whatever it was that you were thinking and feeling at the time. Remember what lead up to it," he explained.

Cora was surprised; that actually sounded like a good piece of advice. She thought back to Koume and Kotake when they wre flying around her, a blur of red and blue. She remembered the fire and the ice, the screaming, and the anger she felt. She closed her eyes and tried to focus.

On a whim, she said, "stop." She opened her eyes; nothing happened. Ganon cocked his eyebrow at her.

Cora ran her hand through her hair. "I told you, I don't know what happened."

All of a sudden, there was the sound of screaming filled the air. The Gerudo that was guarding the exit ran back through the buildings. Cora felt a rush of air pass her, and realised that Ganon was running towards the screams. WIthout thinking, Cora followed quick behind him.

She bursted out between the two buildings and was met with quite a site. Large green slug-like creatures were everywhere. On top of their heads were four yellow pinscers; they were leevers. Cora only remembered them attacking in groups of maybe three, nothing like this. There had to be around fifteen of them. The Gerudo were attacking with their swords and were doing a good job at keeping them at bay, but more and more kept popping from the ground.

"Stop!" Ganon's voice rang out across the sand in a deep boom. The leever's halted in their spot and looked at him, hesitantly. You could see their little minds working. They feared Ganon, yet, they were trying to size up the advantage of their numbers. One of the Leever's creeped forward, and with that, they all went back to full attack mode. Ganon drew his sword, and ran into the fray. He spun on the spot, a spin attack, taking out three. He was one fluid movement, never second guessing his footing or stopping the motion of his sword. He sliced through their green bodies like butter. Cora heard two little screams and looked to the side. The two children were running from a group of Leevers.

Cora ran to them, though she had nothing to attack them with. Her only concern was the children. She caught up with them and scooped them up. She turned to the side and began to ran. She could tell the Leevers were catching up with her, and the children were getting heavy. She came to a halt and put the children behind her, and turned to face the monsters. There were at least seven of them starting to circle around her. She pulled the children close, her breathing heavy. What was she going to do? Cora smiled. She knew exactly what she was going to do: keep the children safe.

In the distance, she could see a black figure running towards her, but there was no time. She would _not _let these innocent children be harmed.

She shouted, "Stop!" Just like in her dream, she felt a warmth coat her arms and her body. She felt her hair fly up from her shoulders as a wave of flame radiated from her body. It smashed into the Leevers bodies, enveloping them in flame. They screetched in agony as they were burnt to ashes. Cora felt the children leave her, running towards their mothers. Cora looked up. All the Gerudo's eyes were on her, including Ganon's. He was only a few feet in front of her now.

Cora gave a weak smile. She felt intensely dizzy and disoriented. Her eyes shuttered and she fell to the side, blacking out, but her body never hit the ground. She felt her weight lifted into the air before she completely lost conscious.

...

Cora's eyes flashed open. All the events came flooding into her mind: the screams, the leevers, Ganon's voice, the children. She sat up in the bed.

"Are the chiildren ok?" she asked, breathless.

The man beside her looked at her critically.

"Lay back," he said. Cora jumped at his voice and turned to him. What was he doing here? On that thought, she looked around. She was in her room, laying in her bed. Ganon was in a chair beside it.

"I'll lay back when you answer my question!" she shouted.

Ganon gritted his teeth. "Can you not listen to anything I say? The children are fine, _lay back_." He put great emphasis on the last two words. Cora obliged and laid back down. Her head was spinning, anyways.

"What you did took a lot of energy. Your body is depleated," he explained.

Cora bit her lower lip in thought. She felt pretty weak after the incident with Koume and Kotake, as well. How could she do this? She thought back to the flames, just before it happened. She had felt that same sensation when she was Din, in the dream. Did she share some kind of bond with Din? Cora smirked; that was an understatement. Cora doubted she visisted too many people in dreams, and, in person.

"What is so funny?" Ganon asked.

Cora looked to him. She had forgotten he was there. "I was just... thinking."

Ganon gave her a look that implied he was waiting for further explanation. Cora rolled her eyes. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"Well, the other night, I read a book over there-" she pointed to the bookshelf, "that basically told what Din did when she, um, descended upon this land. Well, last night, I had a dream that I _was _Din, and I was reliving what had happened. And the sensation I felt when the flames coated my body.." she trailed off, trying to think of how to explain it. "It was a smooth, warm, sensation. And it was the same sensation I felt when I, um..." she struggled for a word to use, "incenerated, the leevers."

Ganon looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Do you dream often?"

Cora laughed. "Oh, all the time. Din's always interrupting my sleep."

Ganon's eyes widened. "You dream of Din?"

Cora looked at him nervously. Should she be telling him this? "Well, she sort of, visits me in my dreams."

Ganon's mouth dropped slightly. This time, it was a look of shock, not contempt.

"Is that not normal?" she ventured.

Ganon simply shook his head 'no'. He looked away from Cora and looked out the balcony door. He looked like he was in deep thought.

Still not looking at her, he asked, "What did you feel when this happened today?"

Cora bit her lip in thought. "Well, I asked myself, 'what am I going to do?', and I answered with: protect the children. And I guess, that's just what I did..." her voice trailed off. She added, "I couldn't let the children get hurt, they were defenseless."

Ganon laughed. It startled Cora; it was loud, deep, resounding off the walls almost like Din's voice did. "Had they had weapons, they probably would of been the ones defending _you_," he stated.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Well, they didn't, so."

Ganon stood from the chair. He simply said, "rest," and exited the room. Cora's eyes lingered on the door he just exited. She found it odd that he had came to see her; he must of had much more important duties, and more interesting ones.

Cora's mind was still fatigued and spinning. She let any thoughts and cares she had go, and drifted to sleep.


	8. Message to Readers

My Dear Readers,

Thank you for all the reviews, I appreciate them and love reading what you have to say :) I have answered the pleas and posted the second part of chapter 8! I have started on 9 :)

And, Fish, thank you for the suggestion of writing from Ganon's POV. I simply hadn't thought about doing it prior. I will try to work it in, because I know if I was in your spot, I'd like to read his view, too :)

I believe if I have anything to tell you guys I'm just going to update this post, instead of making a new one, haha! So keep an eye out for that :)

Thank you for reading! Keep leaving feedback!

The-Lost-Melody-Four


	9. Chapter 8, Part 1

Cora awoke feeling well rested. She left the bed, and stretched, reaching her hands above her head. She felt a little stiff but she assumed that was from yesterday.

She walked out to her balcony and peered over the edge. She furrowed her brow; it looked as though all of the Gerudo were already out, and it appeared that they were frantically running about. Cora wondered why they looked panicy. There was a light breeze in the air that caught Cora's hair and blew it about. She smiled; she loved the cool breezes of summer. Though, she really had no idea what season it was here. Did they even have seasons?

She turned back to her room and walked through the doorway.

"Holy-" Cora put her hand to her head. "You scared the crap out of me!"

Ganon furrowed his brow. In a bitter tone, he said, "What does that mean?"

Cora shook her head. "Nevermind. You can't just come in here unannounced!"

"Can't I? This is my home, and you're the guest," he said with a smirk on his face.

Cora put her hands on her hips. This man, was impossible. "Why are you here?"

"To bring you these," he said. He threw a pile of clothes on the bed, they looked different than the normal attire. "We're traveling." With that, he turned from the room and left, slamming the door behind him.

"Was that necessary?" Cora shouted after thim. Traveling? She ran to the bed to inspect the clothes. They were definitely different. For one, there were actually trousers, a top that covered her stomach, and what looked like a satchel. She was glad; she didn't think she'd enjoy riding anywhere in her current outfit. Best of all, there were shoes. Boots, to be precise. Cora paused; but why? Why did she have these clothes?

She stripped out of her silk pants and examined the trousers. They were cream colored and were made of a sturdy material. Cora slipped her legs into them; a perfect fit. Was that a lucky guess, or were they secretly slipping in at night and taking her measurements? Cora shook her head and chuckled. The material was a little scratchy, but nothing she couldn't soon forget about.

She was so excited to have shoes, she put the boots on next. Upon grabbing them, she found a white stocking in each of them. She quickly slipped them over her feet and pulled on the boots. They were tall, coming up to her knees. They were made of a dark leather. She examined her feet; they looked nice. She pulled the laces taught, wrapping them arouned the top of the boot twice before tying them. The top was red, naturally, and had a scoop neckline. It was a tunic, coming down past her butt. The sleeves were odd and took Cora a moment to properly manuever her arms into them. They were baggy and slouched over her shoulders. Cora checked her left arm; it perfectly covered her scar. The sleeves were slighty ruffled and hung away from her arms, sinching together at the bottom. She examined the next piece of clothings. Though, she could hardly call it clothing. It was a rectangular piece of rigid fabric that she stared at, wondering what to do. She thought back to all of her time playing video games. She tenatively wrapped it around her waist, tying around it a large yellow ribbon. She tied the ribbon into a bow in the front, slightly off-center.

She took the satchel and examined it. She had never worn anything like this before, and wasn't sure what to do. She thought back to the game. She wrapped the satchel around her waist, letting it hang lower on her right side, and adjusted the buckle. She looked down at herself; not bad. She walked to the vanity and examined herself in the mirror; she looked like a completely different person. Her skin was much darker; the red tunic flattered her new tone. She wished she could pin her hair back some, but that was her only complaint.

She walked to her door, but before she could grab the handel, it opened.

"Good, you ready," Serene stated.

"Yeah, just finished," Cora answered.

"Come quick," Serene turned down the hall and traveled at a light jog. Cora kept up with her through the turns. Why must the halls be a maze? She was convinced there were dead end halls, too.

They exited the building, entering the blinding light. Cora smiled; her feet were nice and safe in her boots. Several Gerudo were mounted on horses, though their attire was essentially the usual. Each of them wore a black cape. Cora frowned; why was she the only one dressed this way? The Gerudo stared down at her, each carrying a frindly disposition on their face. Where was this coming from? Ganon walked towards them from the right, in his usual attire.

"Where is Erebus?" Ganon asked, to no one in particular.

A Gerudo stepped forward. "We bring him my king. He is difficult as ever."

Cora cocked an eyebrow. She wondered if she'd ever get used to the way their language sounded choppy and like it was missing words.

Ganon laughed. "You just have to have the right touch."

In the distance, Cora heard a horrid screech. It could of been the sound made by an animal when a hot poker was pressed to its skin, or perhaps if you had just put a burning ember in its nostril. In this case, it was the sound of a very, truly, unhappy steed. Two Gerudo had ropes tied to either side of the horses halter, desperatly trying to drag it towards them, while staying from its reach. The horse was pitch black, with a long stringy mane and tail. The horse had a black leather breast plate, a horned animal's head show pieced in the center. Both the blanket and saddle were black; nothing strayed from the dreary theme. The horse could completely dissapear in the dark, Cora was sure.

The horse was muscular and bulky, fighting the Gerudo every step of the way. When they managed to get closer to Ganon, the horse changed it's attitude and trotted up to Ganon, leaving the Gerudo barely hanging onto the ropes behind it. Ganon stroked it's nuzzle, cooing something in it's ear. As he did this, the Gerudo removed the lead ropes and quickly dispersed.

In one fluid movement, Ganon placed his foot and swung up and onto the massive beast. Cora looked up at his tall figure; a cloud of black with just a tint of red. It was a formidable sight, and Cora made sure her gaze was hard and steady.

A Gerudo approached her, leading a horse by its reins.

In a low mumble, Ganon commented, "Since you've already shown you know how to ride a horse."

Cora took the horse's reins and stroked the creatures muzzle. It was a deap chestnut color, a beautiful animal. Cora swung herself onto the beast and adjusted her seating. There were several saddle bags laiden with miscellanous items that Cora couldn't see. In fact, all of the horses carried some form of cargo. Counting Ganon and herself, there were seven of them. She was curious as to where they were going and why they needed so many passengers, especially herself. What good could she be?

Ganon coaxed Erebus towards a Gerudo wearing a red veil. He spoke something to her that Cora could not understand; whether it was Hylian, or the other form of language the Gerudo use, Cora could not make out a single word. She looked away in annoyance. What was she not to know?

"Alright," Ganon turned to face his group of travelers. "Stay close, don't break formation." Erebus moved to the front of the group. Ganon gave them all a once over and took off. Cora was about to call after him. What formation? What was she supposed to do? Her horse moved on its own, catching Cora off guard. The Gerudo still on the ground laughed.

Cursing under her breath, Cora grabbed better hold of the reins. The five women traveling with them circled around Cora, Ganon in the front. _So, this is what he meant by 'formation'_, Cora thought. She was boxed in. Though, she supposed she deserved it. After all, she had already escaped once. She was just glad she had her own horse.

The sound of their hooves rolled across the desert like thunder, their storm clouds were giant puffs of dust, trailing behind them like a shadow. Cora didn't have to do much besides keep her balance; the horse seemed to have a mind of its own. For Cora, it was a boring trip. They hadn't yet passed any towns, which Cora had hoped for. All she could see were trees, mountains in the distance, and grass. No one offered up conversation, but she doubted she would of been able to hear them anyways. Cora sat in her saddle, trying to keep herself occupied, and trying to ignore the fact her bottom was going to sleep.

They rode the horses hard for the rest of the day, not stopping until it was well into the evening. It wasn't quite dark yet, but the sun was still barely hanging on in the sky. They had stopped on the side of a hill, a stream not too far off. They circled the horses up and started to unpack some of the saddle bags. They brought out blankets and what looked like food. A few of the horses strayed to the stream, but none of them wandered too far.

Cora stood awkwardly, watching all the Gerudo unpack. She had brought out a blanket she had found in one of her bags. She could tell the Gerudo had laid their blankets out in a circle, and were starting to pile wood in the center to start a fire. Cora sat down on her blanket. Ganon was giving the occasional order or correcting what they were doing while he unpacked. Cora watched Ganon's horse as it marched its way down to the stream, sending the other horses scattering. It had a cocky saunter, knowing that it was more powerful than the others. It drank greedily from the stream, taking its time, knowing that it was delaying the others. Cora shook her head. The horse was no different from the person who sat upon it.

Everyone settled into their respective seats and stared at Ganondorf, awaiting him to speak. Cora looked between the two groups of people. They were so attentive to him, so loyal.

"Tomorrow will begin early. We have many things we need to carry out. Our first duty to attend to is buying supplies." He took his time speaking. He looked around the group as he spoke, making eye contact with them, even with Cora.

He gestured towards two women towards his right. "You're in charge of getting the perishable foods, like always. Same routine, you should know what to do."

The women responded with a stern nod.

"Now, for the supplies that are not as easy to get." He looked to Cora. "This is where you come in."

"What? Me?" Cora asked dumbfounded.

Ganon nodded with an amused smile. "Yes. You look remarkably like a Hylian in these clothes, yes?"

She examined herself again. So this is why she had the different clothes. So that she would look like a Hylian.

"The venders will not serve us. Most of Hyrule has a strude misconception of us. So this time, I am relieved that we may have an easy solution. You will go in to market with the rupees I give you, and buy the supplies that we need. As simple as that. You should have no problem passing as a Hylian, so long as your ears stay covered."

Cora gave a slight nod. She was uncomfortable with it. The first experience she had with Hylians was not a pleasant one. However, this was the least she could for the Gerudo's. After all, they have given her a place to live, and feeding her their food.

The fire had burned low, giving way to the light offered by the stars. Cora laid with her back to the fire and the camp, staring out in the wilderness. She couldn't fall asleep. Apart from the fact the ground was not very comfortable, she was troubled about tomorrow. What if she was seen? What if some great gust of wind was to arise and her ears were exposed? Not only would she be captured, she would fail in obtaining supplies the Gerudo needed. She rolled over, facing the camp, and was startled to see Ganon sitting upon his bed spread. He casually glanced at her and then back to the dying embers of the fire.

"Trouble sleeping?" he inquired.

Cora shifted under her blanket. Quietly, she answered, "Yes. I'm not accustomed to sleeping on the ground."

Ganon lifted his weight from the blankets, pulling them out from underneath himself, and then tossed them to Cora. "Extra padding," he explained.

"Oh, you don't need to. I'll be fine, really," Cora argued.

Ganon laid back, tucking his arms underneath his head. "Too late."

Cora sighed. She stood briefly to spread out the new blanket and laid upon it. The extra layer definitely made a difference. She was a little unnerved how the blanket possessed, what must be, his scent. It was warm and strangely sweet. Her eyelids fell like lead, and she was out. 

... 

Firm hands shook Cora's sleeping body.

"Awake," said a voice.

Cora's eyes slid open. Amber eyes stared into her own. Satisfied that she was awake, the Gerudo gave her a nod and went back to packing up.

Cora sat up, stretching out her limbs. There was some stiffness in her back from laying on the ground. She grabbed the top blankets that belonged to Ganon and shook them out. She did her best to try to roll them up. She saw Ganon across the camp, looking over what looked like a map and talking with a few Gerudo. Cora slowly made her way over there, trying to wait until he was finished. Glancing up, he noticed Cora. He rolled up the map and handed it to the Gerudo, walking towards her.

"Here's your blankets, thanks again." Cora handed the awkward lump towards him.

He looked at them with a cocked eye brow. With one flick of the wrist they were unrolled, and his skilled hands set to work to doing it again properly.

"Oh. I suppose it'll fit better that way," Cora said humorously.

Ganon chuckled. "Yes, I suppose it will. Can you manage yours?"

Cora looked over her shoulder to her sleeping area. "Um, maybe. I guess we'll find out."

Cora turned on her heels and made her way towards her blankets, aware that Ganon was following her.


	10. Chapter 8, Part 2

After some fumbling and assitance with packing, Cora found herself standing once again in front of Hyrule Castle. Behind her, she could hear the dull thud of hooves heading in the opposite direction. She looked to her left. Somewhere towards the horizon is where she had lost her most precious friend. Cora choked down a sob and started up the steps.

Castel Town was alive with people. Cora remembered the first time she had passed through here, and the disdain people had held in their eyes. Today, they barely noticed her. Cora self-consciously patted her hair over her ears.

She pulled a list out of her pocket. Bottles, fabric, and some kind of herb. She joined the hustle and bustle of people. This was going to make navigating interesting. Hylians in their brightly colored outfits huried this way and that, traveling in clusters like schools of fish. Like the current in the ocean, they swept Cora along. Cora kind of enjoyed it. It was like some strange ride.

She made her way down an alley that opened up into a slightly larger one, that was lined on either side with merchants. Cora realized she had been mistaken when she had thought the main square had been packed. It was nothing compared to this. The stalls were all alike, generic wooden counter tops covered in various goods, some having posts that rose up, holding a brightly colored canopy that shaded the vendor from the sun. Though it was quite busy, it had a small quaint feel that Cora relished in.

As she walked past the stores, trying to pick out the items she needed, one of the vendors called out to her.

"Ah, young miss, young miss! A flower for your hair? Or perhaps a beautiful boquet to set at home on the table?" She called out. Cora turned and was hit with the sweet aroma of fresh flowers. She could barely see the vendor through all the bright bursts of life that surrounded her stall. The lady circled around, a big purple flower in her hand. She swiftly placed the flower in Cora's hair, tucked behind her ear. Cora's face flushed as she paniced; were her ears exposed?

"Oh, no thanks! It's all very lovely, but I'm just passing through town!" Cora stammered out.

"Perhaps another time dear. Keep the flower as a token," The lady smiled sweetly and made her way back around her stall to attend to a customer.

Cora's heart pounded. Surely if her ear was exposed, the lady would have made a commotion, shouting to the guards. Cora patted over her ear and relief washed over her as she could still feel her hair covering it. Still, it was too close for Cora's comfort.

Cora quickly found the bottles at a stall ran by a Goron, who kindly wrapped them in paper for her to pack in her satchel. She found the fabric not much farther down sold by a Hylian man. She bought a selection of colors ranging from deep, rich, reds (for obvious reasons), and cool, crisp greens and blues. Cora was pleased how quickly she was moving through her list. Though she enjoyed seeing all the stalls and the people, she was nervous to be discovered. Which felt silly to Cora. She wasn't a Gerudo.

Cora glanced again at her list. She hadn't heard of this herb before, and wasn't sure she could pronounce it. Ganon had informed her it was some type of root that was excellent for healing burns. She hadn't seen any stalls that looked liked they sold any items that remotely looked like healing herbs.

She turned down an alley way and was rudely bumped into by a passing Hylian, hurrying down the street carrying a large basket. Cora stumbled through an open doorway. She was about to immediatly step out of the home she was sure she had just invaded, when the giant tree in the middle of the room caught her eye. It's trunk was so thick, it blocked the view of half the room. It was stout and a light grey color, spreading massive limbs to each corner of the room, bearing the burden of the thick foilage above.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A bright cheery voice called out. Cora's eyes caught sight of a young girl who came skipping around the tree. She wore a pale blue dress that had attached to it pink fabric butterflies. She had knee high socks and her hair in pig tails. Her blonde bangs peaked out from underneath a bonet that matched her bright dress. She looked like she was all of 12 years old.

She peered at the tree with a loving devotion in her eyes. "It's the home to my little friends. They're so cute! Do you see them up there? Do you see how they glow? They creep and crawl, chirp and squeak, I can hardly handle it!" 

Cora followed the girls gaze up to the tree. If she squinted her eyes, she could just make out a bug here or there. Suprisingly, they did seem to glow. A faint hue of green could be made around each of their bodies. "I take it that you like bugs?" Cora questioned.

"Like? I love bugs! They are my passion, my joy, my reason to live!" The girl twirled in a circle, shouting to the ceiling as she did so. She stopped with a stumble and looked at Cora with her bright blue eyes. "My name is Agitha," she said with a sweeping bow. "And this is my palace! My bug palace!"

Cora could have smacked herself in stupidity. Of course, it all made sense. "Hi, Agitha. My name is Cora," Cora gave the girl a big smile. She reminded her of a little girl she once knew. A thought flashed to Cora. "Oh! Perhaps you could help me. I'm actually just passing through town, but I was hoping to find this root... here, let me fetch my list." Cora dug in her pocket and pulled it out.

Agitha glanced at the list and giggled. "Well, you've come to the right place!"

"The right place?" Cora questioned.

"Well, I have this root! If you just follow me! Please not try to smash my little buggies, they are so dear to me. I don't know what I shall do if one of them were to perish," Agitha skipped around the tree, indicating for Cora to follow. Cora did so, picking her way through the occasional grass hopper that crossed her path.

She followed Agitha to a tall glass cabinet that from floor to ceiling. It was filled with several ornate boxes that looked like music boxes to Cora. Agitha opened a box that was a pale blue with several gold inlays, and pulled out a bag filled with a finely ground brown substance.

"While I collect my little buggies, I often come across different roots that I sell," Agitha explained.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Cora gasped.

After arguing over the price, because Agitha just wanted to give it to Cora, she eventually gave in and accepted Cora's rupees. Cora was so thankful to finally be finished and to be heading out. Agitha was a sweet girl that Cora found amusing, but she said quick goodbyes, and made her way out, flicking a beetle off her shoulder as she went. She stepped into the alley and looked both ways, feeling a little turned around.

"You look familiar. What's your name?"

Cora jumped at the mans voice. She turned to face a Hylian guard she had not noticed before. Her heart raced. What if he was one of the guards that had captured her?

Quickly, she replied sweetly, "Serene. My name is Serene. You don't look familiar to me, what's your name?"

Caught off guard, he stammered out, "Channing. Funny, I could of swore I've seen you around before." The mans voice trailed off, and Cora could see his gears turning.

"Serene darhling, did you fetch that stuff for me from Agitha's?"

Cora and the guard both turned to the commanding voice. Cora stared at the large women. She was dressed provoactively in a dress and a vest that allowed everything to be seen. Her hair was piled on top of her head, her eyebrows perked in question.

"Come on dear, I don't have all afternoon. I need to get making that tea," she called out again.

Cora was speechless, but she held her composure. "Oh, I'll be right away. This kind guard here thought I looked familiar."

The lady laughed hardy and deep. "Channing, this is my little cousin from the other side of the fields, over around Termina. You couldn't possibly know her darhling. Though she does have a charming face; cute of you to try and pick her up like that," she said with a wink.

Even underneath his helmet, the guard blushed scarlet and tried to stammer out an excuse. He ended up giving her a nod and bidding her a good day. Cora turned slowly to the woman now leaning against the wall.

"Um, do I know you?" Cora carefully questioned.

"Well, Cora, I know you darhling. I highly doubt you know me sugar, but, how about we go about getting introduced? If you will, follow me," the lady explained.

Cora looked over her shoulder, reassuing her that the guard was gone. It was still early in the afternoon, and she still had plenty of time before she was supposed to rendevzou. She bit her lip in contemplation; part of her knew this could be a trap.

Cora patted her ears and took a deep breath, following the lady down a set of stairs, and through a door. She entered a dimly lit bar that held only a few people at the bar. Light music played somewhere; it sounded like a piano to Cora. The lady walked behind the bar.

Motioning towards a man sipping from a cup slowly, she stated, "finish up there dear. I gotta shut this place down a little bit before the evening so I can clean it up."

She walked back around and motioned for Cora to follow. She lead her into a back room covered by a curtain. There was a small table that was lowly lit. She took a seat and Cora took the chair opposite.

"My name is Telma, and this is my bar." 


	11. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Sorry it's been awhile! I tried to make a long one to make up for it :) Please tell me what you think. And I took the suggestion to write from Ganon's POV ;) Just proof that I DO care what you guys say. Also! Since I cannot do art, I'd love if someone felt inspired to do some fanart. I could always pull off rough scribbles for reference.

**Chapter 9**

Cora looked around the dimly lit room. How could she have not known? The bar held several small tables and chairs and an aroma of something sweet. The place had a very homey feel.

"How do you know who I am?"

Telma smiled warmly. "Ganondorf told me you were coming. He asked if I'd keep an eye open for you, if anything should happen."

Cora held a look of amazement. Since when were people on Ganondorf's side?

Telma gave a knowing wink. "There's more people on his side than you'd think. Though it's those same few who accept what is at work here."

"What is at work here?"

Telma narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure you will be finding out soon enough. Moving forward, did you find everything in town you needed?"

Cora was a bit peeved that Telma wasn't divulging any more info. What's going on that she doesn't know about? Cora gave a half-hearted nod before adding, "thank you for what you did back there. I've been so paranoid since I arrived."

"Don't worry child. It's good to be cautious. Remember that everywhere you go, for every person watching out for you, there's someone else who's looking for you."

"Wait, why are they looking for me? Because I'm an escaped prisoner?"

Telma hurriedly stood up and walked over to the bar. She brought back a knapsack that clanged with jars. "For you and Ganondorf."

After some brief goodbyes and Cora's thanks, Cora was back out in the street of Castle Town, making her way back to the entrance. There was a tree just in front of the castle Cora was to meet Ganondorf at. She glanced up at the sky, gauging what time it was.

**Ganondorf's Trip**

Ganon stood before the entrance, the wind kicking up the hem of his cape. He wiped the last of the tektite blood off, their bodies laying in ruins behind him. His destination: Dodongo's Cavern. He did not know what game the Goddess Din was playing by sending him this girl, but he needed to make her more useful. He had heard rumors of an item that laid within a secret room that was blessed by the Goddess. He needed to find it.

As he walked through the cave's entrance, he was quickly hit with a wave of heat. If his skin had not already been tanned and hardened by the deserts sun, he feared it might have blistered. A lake of lava laid before him, with several ledges and pillars to travel along. He briefly glanced up to the glowing Dodongo head and leaped to the left, landing gracefully.

He went to the far door, and slipped inside. A rickety bridge ran across lava, on the other side holding three bulblins. Ganon smiled, drawing his sword. Racing across the bridge, his sword met one of the bulblins, in a clash or steel. He slashed at the bulbin, causing it to stumble, and gave it a quick kick into the lava. He turned to the next and brought his sword down in a slash. Ganon gritted his teeth as a hot pain erupted behind his shoulder. He looked over and saw a bulbin he had not noticed up on a ledge; it held a bow. Ganon shoved the bulbin in front of him, bringing his sword swiftly across, killing it.

Sheathing his sword, he braced himself. His hands began to glow dark and purple, a mass forming between them. He shot the dark ball at the bulbin. The bulbin screeched as the dark magic of the ball erupted over his body, bringing him to the ground.

Ganon reached over his shoulder and pulled out the arrow, throwing it into the lava. It was only a minor wound. He knew his body would heal quickly from it. He stared at the wall before him. To anyone else this would look as a dead-end, but to Ganon, it reeked of a hidden door. He placed his hand on the wall and felt. As he slid his hand downwards, the wall felt warm and the triforce on his hand glowed. He felt a little lower until an outline of the triforce appeared on the wall. Ganon removed his hand and watched as the outline became more solid, and seemed to cut through the stone, forming an arched doorway. Ganon swiftly walked through.

The room was circular, torches lit all around the room. In the center was a statue of the Goddess Din, and at her feet sat a red dodongo. Ganon's hand began to reach for his sword.

"There's no need for that," spoke the lizard.

Ganon relaxed his hand and approached the lizard.

The lizard stood, on two legs, almost as tall as Ganondorf. "My name is Demetri. I know why you are here, the Goddess has told me of your visit."

"You have the item?"

"Yes," Demetri replied. "But first, a message, from the Goddess. You are as equal a piece to this puzzle as she is. Separate, you each will have great strength, but combined, your power will overflow. Don't forget that. Make sure the girl knows, as well."

"Alright," Ganondorf replied. "Where is it?"

Demetri turned to the statue behind him. Ganon scrutinized it. It was a typical display of the Goddess. Her gowns flowing about her feet, her head and eyes tilted to the sky, her arms outreached. Ganon watched as Demetri reached for the stone bracelet around the Goddesses wrist. He gave it a tug, and as it broke away, it was no longer stone, but solid gold. He reached to the other wrist and did the same thing. Demetri turned to Ganon and presented the bracelets to him. "The Gauntlets of Din."

Ganon accepted the gauntlets, turning them over in his hands. "They don't look much like gauntlets."

Demetri smiled. "No, not yet."

As Ganondorf departed from the room, the door disappeared behind him. He tucked the gauntlets neatly away, and headed for the entrance.

**Cora's Tree**

Cora leaned against the tree. He was supposed to be here. What if something had went wrong? What was she supposed to do? It was a long journey back to the desert on foot. She supposed she could return to Telma. She clearly had some way of communicating with him. Cora became more anxious as the time passed. She was so worried a guard might take a stroll out in the field on their break or something of the sorts and see her. How would she explain standing in the middle of the field against this tree with all these bags?

She heard the drum of hooves and looked behind her. A black form appeared over the top of the hill; Ganon upon his horse. He slowed to a stop by the tree and offered down his hand. Cora took it and swung up behind him.

"You're late, you know."

Though Cora couldn't see it, she was pretty sure he smirked. "I was busy. I'm here now."

They raced off across the hills of Hyrule field, back where they had camped they night before. It was an uninterrupted journey that ended quickly. Erebus traveled faster than any horse Cora had ever met.

It was the early hours of dusk when they arrived back. Ganon assisted her down and helped her with her bags. Cora noticed all the other Gerudo were gone.

"Did everyone make it back safely?"

Ganon looked up from the bags, "Yes."

"Alright, then where is everyone?"

Ganondorf smiled. "They went back home. What they gathered was needed for the rest of my people."

"Oh," Cora replied simply. She got out her blankets and positioned it around where the fire had been. Ganon laid his out as well.

"I have something for you."

"Oh?" Cora questioned.

"I went on a trip today to Kakariko Village," Ganon explained.  
>"Oh." <em>Quit saying 'oh'!<em>Cora mentally scolded herself.

Ganon reached into a bag and pulled out two gold bracelets. Cora's eyes widened. They were beautiful. They shone with such brilliance and looked as smooth as butter. Ganon placed them in her hands. Why did he get her bracelets?

"What are they?"

"They're called the Gauntlets of Din. I believe they should help you with manipulating fire," he explained.

"They don't look like gauntlets." Cora slipped one over her wrist, and a triforce began to glow on the back of her hand. The bracelet glowed a slight pink color, and it started to grow. Leather plating sprung up her arm, trimmed with gold. It wrapped around her arm snugly. It crawled up to the base of her fingers and wove between them, like a pair of fingerless gloves. Cora was awe-struck. The bracelet had turned into a beautiful gauntlet. She rotated her hand over; in the center of her palm was a small ruby. She felt it with her fingers, it felt warm. Her hand sparked and a small flame erupted, causing Cora to squeak.

Ganondorf chuckled. "I retrieved those for you today. I had hoped it would allow you to use your powers more easily, and it seems I was right."

Cora held the flame in her hand, too afraid to breath if she blew it out. Almost to defy that thought, the flame grew and shone brighter. Cora smiled. An idea hit her and she quickly glanced up to the fire pit. She held the simple thought that she wanted the flame to travel to the wood, and it zipped out of her hand, engulfing the wood.

"Oh wow," Cora gasped. "it's so simple, so easy. All that trouble before, and this is nothing. Holy crap."

Ganondorf stood. "You keep saying that, what does it mean?" He turned his back to Cora, walking to the bags and retrieving a water canister.

Cora laughed and glanced up to him, her laughter quickly ending. "What happened to you?!" Cora shot up. Ganondorf turned to her in confusion, but she was reaching for his shoulder.

"You're hurt!" She shouted.

"Oh. An arrow hit me, I had forgotten about it."

"How could you forget about it? You're bleeding! Take your clothes off now!" Cora demanded.

Ganondorf laughed. Watching her expression, he realized she was not joking. "Oh, you're serious?"

"Yes I'm serious!"

Ganondorf smirked and began to take off his cape. He tossed it to the side, and then began undoing his breast-plate. He un-tucked a black tunic from underneath his belt, and the tossed it off. Cora blushed furiously. She hadn't considered that he was going to be standing here shirtless which is ridiculous, because she had just demanded he take his clothes off. But dear lord. His chest was hard and sculpted, the slightest splatter of red chest hair.

Regaining her composure, Cora stated, "Sit down. There's no way I can look at it with you standing, you're taller than me."

Ganondorf obliged her and took a seat on the ground. Cora walked around him and looked at the wound. It really wasn't much of a wound, and it seemed like it was already healing. Cora grabbed a water canister and poured it over the wound. She picked up Ganon's cape and used a corner to wipe off the dried blood.

"I need bandages," Cora asked.

Ganondorf motioned towards a bag, setting Cora to rifling through it. She pulled out what she needed and began to dress the wound.

"Ok. Much better. You shouldn't let wounds go untreated like that."

She returned to the fire and sat across from him. Cora swallowed hard. His body was breath-taking. The toned skin, the shadow of the flames playing across every curve.

"My body tends to heal quickly. However, I thank you."

Cora looked away, trying to hide her blush. It was hard to look at him like this without her face bursting into five different shades of red. She instead turned her attention to the gauntlets.

"Thank you for these."

Ganondorf nodded. "There's something else. A message that came along with them. We're stronger together than we are separate."

Cora furrowed her brow. "Okay."

They sat for a moment in silence, Cora staring into the flames of the fire, her fingers toying with her gauntlets. Ganon sat quietly before standing and retrieving another black tunic from a bag.

"What does that expression mean, holy crap?" Ganon questioned.

Cora laughed. "You know how you say oh my goddess, or something along those line?"

Ganon nodded.

"Well, it's similar to that. Something you say when you're exasperated, surprised, angry, really any emotion. It doesn't particularly mean anything," Cora explained.

"You're world sounds so foreign to me," Ganon stated.

Cora nodded. "It is a lot different."

"What's it like? Describe it to me," Ganon laid down on his side, propping his head up with his hand.

Cora took a deep breath. "What's it like? Wow. Well, completely different from here. Well, it used to be like this. Horses and wagons for transportation, small villages with castles, but not anymore. We have huge cities with tall buildings that reach into the clouds. We have roads paved with asphalt, something similar to stone, that's more durable and long lasting than dirt roads. We travel in automobiles. Picture something like a metal wagon, but smaller and faster." Cora shook her head trying to think. "There's too much to describe with words, it's too complex."

Ganon gazed at her with an amused smile. "It sounds very different. Is this place very foreign to you?"

Cora shook her head. "Like I said, this place I've seen many times. In the games. Even though each game is different, the places are all pretty similar."

"How did you arrive here?" Ganon asked.

Cora chuckled. "Good question. I was in a store with my friend Whitney. We were shopping. On a table, I spotted something golden underneath some cloth. We both reached for it, and when we touched it, there was this blinding light and the feeling like I was falling. Next thing I knew I was in an ocean."

Cora drew her knees up to her chest. _Whitney…_ A heaviness fell upon Cora's chest. How was she ever going to get through all of this without her?

It wasn't long before the silence and the warmth of the fire drug Cora into a heavy sleep. Nestled in her blankets, she dreamt.

"_Cora."_

_Cora opened her eyes, finding herself in a familiar place. She felt the gauntlets on her hands and she looked to them, the ruby in her palm glowing brightly._

_Din stood before her, magnificent as ever. Her red hair fell around her face, lightly curled and tousled at the ends._

"_The power they hold is only as limited as your imagination."_

In the morning, preparation for departure was quick. Ganondorf skillfully packed everything away after a light breakfast of dried fruit and water. Cora mounted her horse and urged it after Erebus. Thankfully, Ganon took him at a slower pace today. There'd be no way Cora's horse could keep up otherwise.

The day was beautiful. The sun was shining and a warm breeze played with Cora's hair. Cora's horse had a nice even gallop that wasn't too bouncy, which her bottom was thankful for. Occasionally Ganon would call out the name of a river or a village they would pass, but it was so muffled from the wind, Cora simply nodded to whatever he said.

Disaster struck as soon as they crossed into the desert. Sand erupted in front of Cora's horse. Her horse reared in fear, throwing Cora. She landed on the hot sand and shielded her eyes. She could hear her horses hooves as it ran away. Ganon's horse and swiftly dodged the sand and stood strong, but all around them were now Leever's and Moldorm's. Cora rose to her feet and dusted herself off, eyeing them wearily.

Ganon's horse pawed the ground eagerly. He lunged forward and stomped on one of the Moldroms, causing them all to scatter and circle around them. The ground shook once more and a Lizalfos erupted from the ground. _Since when could they burrow? _

And it wasn't the typical small-fry Lizalfos, no. It was the bulky Lizalfos clad in light leather armor, axe-head tail, and scimitar sword in hand. Ganon dismounted Erebus and approached the Lizalfos, drawing his sword.

"Cora, stand back."

Cora obliged and took a few steps back. A second Lizalfos erupted from the ground to Cora's right, startling her something fierce. It was all she could to stifle the scream that wanted to erupt from her throat. _No. She will not be THAT girl. _

Erebus roared and attacked the Lizalfos, giving chase to it. Ganon and the first Lizalfos approached one another. In a deep voice, the Lizalfos hissed, "Ganon."

Their battle erupted in sparks. Sword against sword, sword against scales. Cora looked helplessly on. She didn't have a weapon. The Moldrom and Leevers now decided to take part and rush at Ganon. Though he easily knocked them out-of-the-way and slayed them with one fell swoop, it took his attention away from the Lizalfos, allowing a few blows to land.

This display continued on for a few moments. Ganon blocking and parrying the Lizalfos attacks, dodging the minor enemies and a chance blow landing.

Cora balled her hands into fists. She had to do something. She could handle the minor ones, right? Cora looked down at her gauntlets. But how? She didn't know any fighting techniques or even how well she could use her gauntlets. What if she just became another distraction to Ganon's battle?

"_The power they hold is only as limited as your imagination," _the voice resounded through her. Her dream. Cora focused. Her imagination ran wild, recalling television shows and books. She plopped herself down on the ground, cross-legged. She knew what she wanted to do. Something that would get rid of those pesky minor enemies and perhaps help Ganon defeat the Lizalfos. She focused. She pictured what she wanted to happen in her mind, as if she was telling the fire—the gauntlets what she wanted them to do. She laid her palms face up on her knees. She felt a warmness spread in her hand. She closed her eyes. She played out over and over what she wanted to happen.

_Please work.._

A gust of wind blew back Cora's hair. She opened her eyes to watch fire shoot from her hands, racing across the ground. It shot from each palm, and raced around Ganon and the Lizalfos, creating a ring of fire around them. The Lizalfos looked over its shoulder and hissed. Ganon quickly stepped in and laid a well placed blow. She focused on the Leevers and Moldroms. The ground beneath the creatures erupted with fire like an activated land mine. Their scorched bodies flew into the air and fell to the ground in ashes. Ganon looked over his shoulder at her briefly.

Cora stared at the ground trying to focus. She could feel where the creatures were. She could feel their weight on the earth. The ground erupted with geysers of fire destroying leevers and moldroms left and right, allowing Ganon to devote all of his attention to the Lizalfos.

He blocked the Lizalfos sword and ran his blade up, disarming the Lizalfos. He quickly whipped his blade back, slashing across the Lizalfos's armor. The Lizalfos staggered backwards, towards the ring of fire. As soon as he was close enough, Cora commanded the flames to lash out at his back, sending him back towards Ganon. With one last stab, Ganon plunged his sword through the Lizalfos throat. The Lizalfo's body fell to the ground, lifeless.

Ganon turned to Cora. "Where did you come up with that idea?"

Cora smiled but before she could open her mouth, she collapsed. Her fire dissipated.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**  
>[<strong>Author's Note: <strong>_Thanks for the_ motivation_ Sketchmaster]_

Waking up was a slow process. First, there were the sounds. Her ears were ringing, the faint sound of the shuffling of feet, and the sound of horses whinnying. Then, there was the pain. Her whole body had an achy feeling, like she had been suddenly hit with the flu. Her head was pounding as if she had whacked it hard. Lastly, her vision. It was blurry and unfocused. She had to blink several times to clear the fogginess and make sense of the room she was in.

She was in Ganondorf's room. Why was she in his room? The shuffling noise, where was it coming from? Cora's eyes focused on a women pacing back and forth anxiously. At the slightest creak of the bed, Serene's eyes snapped to Cora. She rushed to the bedside and started quickly speaking what sounded like nonsense. Strange syllables and sounds; why did she sound so weird?

Cora's head cleared and she held up her hand. "Serene, I can't understand you."

Pausing, realization hit her. "Forgive I. I mean that I am happy you are alert, it means I may leave now."

Serene whisked a bow out of a corner Cora had not noticed and slung it over her arm.

"Wait, to go where?" Cora asked.

"To fight," Serene answered simply.

Cora painstakingly sat up. "Wait. What fight? What is going on, where's Ganondorf?"

Cora could tell Serene was irritated to be held up. "The Lizard scum. They have infested are holy Spirit Temple, and Lord Ganondorf found their nest, not far from our villages. We are to clean them out. He made me wait here till you awoke. May I leave now?"

"No." Cora threw off her blankets. Cora felt something slide down her arm and she stared at the gold bracelets around her wrists. Serene's nostrils flared and she crossed her arms. Why were they back to just being bracelets? She didn't have time to worry about that. Cora was still in her Hylian clothes, her boots beside the bed. She quickly stepped into them and turned to Serene.

"Take me with you," she explained.

Serene studied her. "I am sure Lord Ganondorf would not be pleased."

Thinking quick, Cora stammered, " Well, he's given me this new weapon that can wipe out dozens of Lizalfos at a time; I can help, really." Cora glanced to her gold bracelets. It wasn't exactly a lie.

Serene shrugged. "It is your own doing."

Cora had been doing alright until Serene swung her upon the back of her horse. Her stomach did a cartwheel. Maybe she really did have the flu. Serene eyed her uncertainly.

Cora smiled enthusiastically. "Ready when you are!"

Every step of the horse took sent small jolts through Cora's body. It made her feel like her whole body was throbbing. What was wrong with her? She didn't have time to worry about herself right now. She had to help Ganondorf.

It was early in the evening, but darkness was approaching fast. They weren't the only ones riding to the battle. Several Gerudo accompanied or passed them. In the distance Cora could see a grouping of several large rocks. As they approached, the battle unfolded before them.

Lizalfos of all different shapes and sizes were engaged in battle with Gerudos. Fires were set to a few small huts, and as they entered the swarm, Cora saw several small straw nests containing eggs on fire. Though the thought was silly, she felt sad for the little baby Lizalfos. She heard a deep, throaty roar and saw Ganondorf in the center of the battle. He was going head to head with a Lizalfos larger than the ones they had battled earlier. She heard Serene grunt and her attention was brought back.

Serene was quickly firing off arrows to nearby Lizalfos as they approached. She was an amazing shot. Cora glanced at her bracelets and willed them to turn into their full gauntlet form, but they silently refused. What had changed?

Serene leaped off the horse and drew her sword and charged at a Lizalfos. Cora felt a little stupid sitting on the horse and looked around. What could she do to help? How could she fight? A figure on the ground caught her attention; a wounded Gerudo was crawling away from battle. Without a second thought Cora grabbed the reins and wheeled the horse to her. She reached her hand down to the woman. "Give me your hand."

Cora hoisted her up and turned the horse around. She began quickly scanning the horizon; where was a safe place? The village was too far away. There were two rocks that jutted out of the ground, crisscrossing. Underneath them, they formed a small cave.

"Stay here, you'll be safe. I'm going to go look for others," Cora explained. She gingerly helped the woman down and then headed back into the Lizalfo's make-shift village. She made four trips carrying wounded Gerudo back to the small cave. On one trip she even carried two women with her. Cora smiled; she was of some use after all. She again glanced to her bracelets; she'd feel better if she could help fight.

On her fifth trip back to the village there was a large flash of light and Ganondorf's body was flying through the air. He landed not far from Cora, landing in crouch. He stood up slowly, baring his teeth. He caught sight of Cora and turned on her.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"Well obviously I came to help," Cora stated.

"You're of no use to me right now, go back to the village and stay there!" he shouted. He leapt from the ground with inhuman force and flung himself at the large Lizalfos. Cora set her jaw. How dare he say that she was of no use. She was clearing wounded from the fight and was handling herself quite fine, thank you very much.

The clash of metal rang through the air as Ganondorf's sword collided with steel. There was something off about this Lizalfos; it wasn't the same as the others, Cora could feel it. It was much stronger, faster, and seemed to have abilities the others lacked. In fact, the nearby Lizalfos seemed to shrink from him if they came in close quarters during the fight, as if they too were afraid of him.

The fight between the Lizalfos and Ganondorf seemed to be equally matched. They were both successfully blocking and stunning, but neither of them ever getting a blow to land. Cora wish she could take that thought back, because she jinxed it. The Lizalfos tripped Ganondorf up with his tail and sliced his sword across the front of Ganondorf's chest. Ganondorf's body tensed and he leapt back, blood seeping through his clothing. The Lizalfos laughed. "You're getting too slow Ganondorf."

At the sight of Ganondorf's blood, Cora clenched her hands. She had to do something. She had the sensation of something crawling up her wrist and Cora was astonished to see her gold bracelets unfurling into the Gauntlets of Din. She opened the palm of her hand to see the red ruby. It had a faint glow to it, barely producing any warmth. She looked up at the Lizalfos. Two could play at his game. Perhaps she could distract him and allow Ganondorf to land the precise blow he needs.

She could feel the tug of energy in her hand. A small flame began to form and Cora willed it to grow. It came slowly, unwilling, but she eventually had a solid ball of fire. She looked up to the Lizalfos; he didn't even notice her. She focused on what she wanted, even pictured the Lizalfos falling over from the hit or perhaps exploding on impact, though she knew that was wishful thinking. She brought her hand back, and slung it forward, almost as one would if they were slashing with a sword. The ball erupted from her hand and shot towards the Lizalfos.

Almost on cue, Ganondorf brought back his great sword and plunged it toward the Lizalfos. Cora's fire beat the blade to the mark, smashing into the Lizalfos chest, but Ganondorf's sword was soon to follow, easily slipping through the Lizalfos skin. He pulled his sword out, and whipped his around to Cora, surprised.

The Lizalfos fell to his knees, choking. He grabbed at his chest wound and looked to Cora. He had never even known she was there. Did she really pose that little of a threat? It serves him right for not giving her due credit. He fell backwards, his body turning to black dust as it hit the ground. Ganondorf looked back to Cora and sheathed his sword.

Looking around Cora could see the battle had pretty much ended. They had come out victorious, but they had several wounded. Ganondorf approached Cora, his gaze steady.

"You have a real problem following directions," he stated coldly.

"I have a problem when they're _wrong_," Cora replied. She crossed her arms and met his gaze with her own icy stare.

The groans of nearby wounded tore their attention away.

They arrived back at the village in the middle of the night. It had taken awhile to transport all of the injured fighters. Took longer yet making sure they were all tended to. Cora was beat. Her body felt like dead weight she was just dragging around. Her gauntlets had soon returned to bracelets not long after the fight. She stared at them curiously. They really seemed to have a mind of their own. Cora was covered with dirt, blood, and sweat, but was too tired to really care. All she wanted to do was to sleep for a week. Perhaps a hot bath during that week of slumber would be nice, too.

She slumped against a wall outside of one of the numerous make-shift infirmaries. There were so many rooms in this place it wasn't hard finding a bed for the body, more of making sure the room was stocked with everything they may need. Finding uninjured Gerudo to help tend to all the injured ones was even more of a challenge; not that they weren't more than willing to. As soon as they had arrived everyone immediately began helping, without a single word of contempt. Between the Lizalfo's nest and the hoard that had made their way into the Spirit Temple, Cora could only hope no more battles would ensue too soon, because she was afraid they'd have no one to fight in them.

"You need rest."

The deep voice immediately gave away who it was. After all, there weren't too many men in this place. Cora looked up at Ganondorf. "Now, _those _directions I can handle just fine. I just have to remember how to walk, first."

Ganondorf chuckled. He reached down and scooped Cora into his arms. Cora flushed.

"What are you doing?" She stammered.

"Seeing on how you forgot how to walk, I figured I'd carry you," Ganondorf explained.

"I was only kidding, gesh, I simply mean-" Cora cut herself off. Ganondorf's smirk said it all. "You know perfectly well what I meant."

Ganondorf replied," Yes. "

Cora was sure she could think up some more remarks but she was too tired to try. She let her body go limp and rested into his arms.

Cora had barely noticed when it was Ganondorf's room they walked into, and not her own. He placed her on his bed and stepped back. Cora curled up on her side.

Cora sighed. Burrowing her face into the sheets she said, "I love silk sheets. But why am I here?"

Ganondorf sat down on the edge of his bed. "You exerted a lot of energy today, I wanted to keep an eye on you through the night."

Cora eyed him skeptically. "I don't see why. I mean, sure, today was full of excitement but I'm fine."

Ganondorf nodded towards her bracelets. "You used a lot of magic."

Magic? Cora hadn't thought of it as magic, but that would make sense.

"Magic is like a muscle you have to condition and strengthen. And just like a muscle it tires and can be injured," Ganondorf explained.

A mental image of a magic bar depleting flashed before Cora's mind. It was really uncanny how paralleled the game was to this world.

"So, because I'm out of magic, my bracelets are just bracelets?" Cora asked.

"I suspect so," Ganondorf replied.

Cora yawned and rubbed her face against the smooth, cool silk. "You know, I should have known. In the games, you always had a magic bar. And when you used magic, it would deplete. Isn't there a potion I can drink?" Cora asked sleepily.

"Rest," Ganondorf replied.

"You're two for three with those directions." Cora's voice became fainter as she spoke, her eyelids becoming heavy and blocking out her vision. It wasn't long before her chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Ganondorf sat and watched her sleep for a few moments before standing and walking to his desk.

Cora could feel herself rising through the levels of consciousness. She was residing within the one where her eyes are still firmly clamped shut, but she aware of her breathing and the fact her whole body is on fire. She was way too hot; she was sweating and her hair was matted to her face. Worse yet, she felt a sourness in her stomach. Her tongue and jaw felt tense.

_No, no, no, no…_

With a groan she opened her eyes. She willed her throat closed trying to force back down the awful feeling of sickness. Within seconds Ganondorf stood before her.

"What's wrong?" he inquired.

Cora wiped her hair away from her face. "I'm going to be sick."

Ganondorf disappeared and Cora laid her head down on a cool spot on the sheets. Ganondorf produced a basin and held it out to her. Cora lifted her head and everything set in motion. Her stomach muscles clenched and her throat forced it's way open. Cora barely grabbed the side of the basin before her mouth spilt out the contents of her stomach. Which wasn't much; Cora hadn't eaten that evening. She groaned as her hair fell around her face. It wasn't over yet.

As she gripped the basin with both hands she felt a firm hand push back her hair; Cora peered over the basin at Ganondorf's feet, but not for long. Her face was back in the basin. She silently pleaded with her stomach to be happy again.

After several more moments of face-time with the basin, Cora rolled onto her back, her stomach finally appeased. "Why is this happening to me?" she groaned.

Ganondorf set the basin to the side and replied, "Magic."

Cora curled up into a ball on the cool sheets. Her face in the sheets, she mumbled, "I'm never using magic again."

In a smooth voice, Ganondorf stated, "I'll train you."

**Ganondorf's Thoughts**

Ganondorf stood by the bed until the girl had fallen asleep. He opened up his door and flagged down a woman who came in and took care of the basin. The effects of the magic were hitting the girl's body hard; he wasn't too surprised. The girl's body had never used or experienced magic before. It'd be a shock to her whole system.

Ganondorf strode across his room to his desk and took a seat. He shuffled through some papers. Today's events were running through his mind. Propping his head in his hand, he thought back. He never would have thought the Lizalfos would come out so openly and attack him. That wasn't their style. They liked to infiltrate, arrive in numbers, and then attack. Coming out one-on-one? Something was amiss.

And Erebus, he was going to have to have a talk with that horse. That horse loved confrontation, so much to the point he won't come when Ganondorf beckons. Ganondorf had scooped up Cora's body and carried her back to the village. Even as dead weight, the girl weighed little to nothing and was effortless to run across the desert with. He had instructed Serene to stay with Cora and to see after her, which reminded him that Serene needed talking to. His word cannot be rebuffed. Serene was a great fighter, but he had to insure his people obeyed. He was the only thing that held them together and ensured their safety.

A sharp knock sounded on his door and a Gerudo entered. Ganondorf turned to face her; he had been waiting on a report of the wounded.

They spoke quickly in their native tongue. Ganondorf had to hush the woman's voice to ensure Cora was not awoke. He was afraid she'd awake with sickness again.

The woman departed as quickly as she had arrived. They had not lost any lives today, that was good. Ganondorf had to be more careful. The Lizalfos had slipped past his notice into the temple, and had moved so close to their home. He had to be more alert, more cautious. And that Lizalfos, he was no ordinary one. It had been as if his sword had done no harm to his body, not until Cora's fire hit his skin. And his bodied had crumpled into ashes. No, something was not right here. Ganondorf scribbled a quick note down on a piece of paper. He folded it neatly and tucked it inside his robes. He looked over his shoulder at Cora's sleeping body. Training would have to start immediately.

**Cora**

Cora rolled onto her back and stretched her arms lazily above her.

"You're awake, finally." Serene stated.

Cora looked over near the door. "Oh, were you waiting on me? You should have just woke me up."

"No bother. We have much to do today," Serene explained.

Cora accompanied Serene first to the baths, which she was very grateful for, and then change into a pair of clean clothes. She was back to the typical clothes the Gerudo wore; these particular ones were yellow. Serene then lead her to breakfast which Cora willing indulged on. She was starved after a night of throwing up. The thought made Cora blush; at the time she had felt so bad she hadn't cared at all, but looking back, she can't believe she had thrown up in front of Ganondorf. He had even held the basin! Cora shook her head clearing the thought. There was no way to take back what happened.

After being fed, they walked down a hall Cora remembered from the night before. It was just one of the numerous halls used to hold the wounded. They walked into a spacious room that held four beds. Gerudo's were attending to each bed, and Ganondorf stood over one of the beds talking with the occupant. Cora approached and smiled at the woman in the bed. The woman smiled back and said a single word to her. Cora glanced up to Ganondorf hoping for an explanation.

"She is thanking you for moving her to safety during the fight," Ganondorf explained.

"Oh! Of course, it was the least I could do," Cora enthused. So she had been one of them women she had moved. Well, at least she was getting brownie points with some of the women. Cora took the time to go to each bed and say hello to the women and see how they were doing. There was one other woman in the room who Cora had also moved to safety.

The three of them, Cora, Ganondorf, and Serene, left the women to rest and headed outside. They made their way to the arena Cora had been in once before.

Once they arrived, Ganondorf explained why they were there. "We need to start your training. There will be several more battles, and you will not be able to rely on magic for all of them. Serene is going to train you how to use a bow, and I will train you in magic and the sword."

Cora nodded. "Alright, let's do this."

"We'll see how long your enthusiasm lasts," Serene smirked.

They had several straw targets set up. A bow and several quivers were set nearby. Serene positioned Cora downwind from one of the targets and worked on showing Cora the proper stance. Cora felt comfortable with that and they moved to learning how to hold the bow and drawing the arrow back.

Everything was going smoothly until Cora had to draw the arrow back. She gripped the string and arrow firmly and pulled back, but the string barely budged from its original position. She pulled with all her might, her whole arm shaking. She was able to pull it back farther, but not to its full extent. She released the arrow and flopped through the air and landed a few feet in front of her.

Serene scoffed. "Well, you'll be killing enemies in no time."

Cora shook her arm out and turned to Serene. "I'll get there. I just need to strengthen up."  
>Cora had wanted to say more, but she didn't want bad air between her and Serene. This was the woman who was supposed to show her how to defend her life, after all.<p>

Ganondorf approached and said, "How is it coming along?"

Serene replied, "She's weak. We'll have to work on her strength just as much as her technique."

Ganondorf nodded. "I figured as much."

"Hey! Give me a break. It's not like I've exactly done this before," Cora said firmly. What did they expect of her? She wasn't born into a world that required people to use bows and swords just to live.

"Come with me now." Ganondorf turned and headed to a different part of the arena. Cora followed behind, wondering what she was in store for.

Laid out on a wooden table were several different styles of swords. They were varying in length, size, and shape.

"Choose one that speaks to you," Ganondorf explained.

Cora approached the swords and looked them over. What made a good sword? She bit her lip in thought. In the movies people always picked up the swords and tested the weight in their hands. She reached for one that looked alright and held it. The weight felt awkward in her hand. She turned it over and bounced it a little. She sat it back down and reached for another. The feeling was still awkward but this one was lighter. The hilt of another sword on the table grabbed her attention and she sat the current one down. She reached for it and turned it over. It felt the best out of the three. She turned to Ganondorf.  
>"This one?" She questioned.<p>

Ganondorf shrugged. "It is not a common Gerudo sword, but it is for you to choose."

Cora examined the sword more. It was okay, but she thought about what Ganondorf said; did it speak to her?  
>She glanced at the table again. She sat the sword in her hand down and grabbed another. The hilt caught her attention. Leather was wrapped around the handle, and a smooth white stone was embedded in it. She turned it over; it felt balanced, as far as Cora could tell.<p>

"I like the hilt of this one. Is it strong?" Cora questioned.  
>"Strong?" Ganondorf questioned.<br>Cora tilted her head back and forth, searching for the right words. She didn't want to sound too foolish. "Is the blade good? Will it last?" She turned to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf chuckled. "You find one that suits you and we can always improve it."  
>Cora nodded. "Then I think I like this one."<p>

Ganondorf took the blade from her and took a few swings in the air with it. He slid it through his belt. A horn blew in the distance, sending Ganondorf snapping to attention. He ran past Cora and through the exit. She looked around bewildered; what was going on?

She ran out of the arena and looked around. Gerudo were running everyone. Several on horses ran past, soon followed by Ganondorf upon Erebus. She ran in the direction that they were headed. A deeper more menacing horn blew; it sounded so familiar to Cora.

The ground shook beneath her feet. She thought it was from the horses, then she saw what it was. As she neared where everyone else was gathered, on the edge of the village, she saw giant boars charging towards them. That wasn't all, either. On top of the boars were Bokoblin's. There were five mounted boars, and several Bokoblin running around them. The mounted Gerudo charged forward, Ganondorf at their lead. Another battle? Cora couldn't believe it. They still had wounded that were healing.

They agile horses dodged the boars horns, while their rides sliced at the Bokoblin. Already blood fell upon the sand, staining it red. Gerudo on foot spun in blurs of bright colors with highlights of bright metal. Their swords clanged against the metal of sword and armor.

Cora wasted no time running into battle. She formed a round ball of fire in her hands and threw it directly into the open mouth of a boar. The creature screamed and reared back, throwing his rider off. Cora focused her attention at two Bokoblin on foot and through fireballs at their chest.

She caught sight of Ganondorf on his horse. Erebus reared into the air as Ganondorf took off the head of a Bokoblin. Cora smiled; he was magnificent in battle.

She heard one rushing from behind her and turned to meet him. Instead of raising his sword to Cora, the Bokoblin kicked sand into her eyes. She yelled in surprise, closing her eyes. Suddenly a bag flew over her head and was cinched tight. She shot a fireball directly behind her but was unsure if she hit. What felt a whip snap around her hand, biting into her skin. She screamed in pain as another whip wrapped around her second hand. She fought against the constraints. She tried to grab onto the whips in an effort to burn through them, but she couldn't grab hold.

She heard Ganondorf's deep yell off to her right. She could imagine his face, seeing the scene, and rushing to her aid. Once again, she was in need of saving.

Her hands were tied behind her back, rendering them useless. She felt something hard collide with her head, causing her to see stars. She slumped to the ground, unconscious.


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Cora was in a chair. Her hands were tied behind her back, behind the chair. She had a bag over her head, and it smelled like something awful. Her head was pounding. She was not alone in the room. This, she all knew.

_Where am I?_

Almost as if they heard her thoughts, someone pulled the bag off. Cora blinked in the new light and looked around the room. She was surrounded by the same ugly Bokoblins from earlier.

"Are you sure she's the one?" one of the Bokoblins shrieked.  
>"Yes, I'm sure! Why do you keep doubting me?!" another one replied.<br>"She didn't put up much of a fight. Why is the master so worried about _her_?" A third Bokoblin added.  
>Cora flinched. Their voices were high and shrill, on the borderline of screaming. Her pounding head did not appreciate this.<br>"What do you want?" Cora asked tiredly.

One of the Bokoblins who had spoken earlier came and pushed up Cora's sleeve, revealing Din's mark burnt into her skin.  
>"See! See! What did I tell you!" the Bokoblin shrieked. "Should we remove her bracelets?"<p>

A red Bokoblin stepped forward. "Good idea! I'll do it!" he walked to the back of the chair and Cora felt him hover over her hands. As his flesh made contact with the bracelets, they began to glow bright red and the Bokoblin screamed in pain. He danced around the room waving his smoking hand in the air. "Hot! Hot! Hot! Water! Need Water!"

_Interesting_. _It seems that only I can take them off._

Cora smirked. "Did you really think you'd get them off that easily?"  
>"Shush little girl!" the red Bokoblin yelled. He held his hand close to his mouth and blew on it.<p>

Cora's eyes adjusted to the room and she began to assess it. She was in a circular room with a dome ceiling. Small rectangular windows lined the top boarder of the far wall, allowing cones of light to cast through.  
>The walls were made of a smooth yellow colored stone. Matching pillars made an aisle through the center of the room, giving the room a very grandeur feeling. Beneath Cora's feet was red carpet running through the center of these pillars, leading up to steps that supported a massive cherry wood throne. The throne was high backed and scalloped-shaped. Cora could just make out ornate twists and knots in the wood. The arms of the throne were two clawed arms curving downwards.<br>In the center of this throne was a large green Bokoblin who was turned to his right, talking with another of his kind.

Along either side hung purple banners that displayed what Cora had thought was the Hyrule crest. On further inspection, she saw that she was deceived. It was similar to the traditional crest that looked like a bird with the triforce in the center. This birds wings came to sharp points, instead of the squared-out-look she was accustomed to. The triforce in the center was upside down. There was a wooden chest sitting near the throne that was partially open, and Cora could see a shiny purple material flowing from it. Was it silk? What did Bokoblin's need with silk?

"So you're the little girl who had been causing me so much trouble," the large Bokoblin stated. His voice was deep and gruff. His massive green belly hung over a simple fur loin cloth. Cora's eyes shifted up to him. Around his neck hung an ornate golden necklace.  
>"I am King of the Bokoblin. I am King Bachy," he boomed as he gestured around the room with pride. <p>

The various Bokoblin in the room cheered before being silenced. He patted his stomach as he said, "We caught you, yes we did. They doubted old' King Bachy could handle such a little girl, but we did just fine, didn't we boys?"  
>The Bokoblins cheered and marveled in their glory, high-fiving and patting each other on the back.<p>

Cora tried to keep a straight and serious face through all of the spectacle. She had never seen anything quite like it; Bokoblins were strange creatures.

"What would anyone want with me?" Cora asked innocently.  
>"Ha!" Bachy spat. "Doesn't really matter, does it? You're my prisoner for the time being and you shall be treated as equally as all the other prisoners. After all, I am a fair and just king." The Bokoblins sang out praise for their king.<br>Bachy rolled his eyes and brushed them off with a wave of his hand.

Turning his gaze to Cora, he stated," You will be put to work in my mines. You should feel honored to be a part of such a great operation as mine! At any rate, in case you get any funny ideas," he gestured towards her golden bracelets," you should know the dust from the ore you will be mining is highly combustible. Oh yes, I know all about your little fire tricks. You wouldn't only blow yourself up, you'd take all the other precious prisoners with you. "

Cora grinded her teeth. That presented a problem. The thought struck her that he could be lying, but there's no way she could take the chance.

Cora was pulled to her feet and lead out of the room. They went down several flights of stairs and took several turns. Cora could distinctly tell that they were headed down. The smooth stone gave way to a more rugged brown stone wall. Her finely paved floor gave way to dirt and rock. The hall widened and they passed several Bokoblin and prisoners. She saw several Hylians, each looking like the next. They were wearing simple cloth pants and tunics. They're hands were shackled together. They shuffled behind one another carrying pick axes and shovels, others carrying bags over their shoulders.

They came to a wide central location. There were rail road tracks heading off in every which direction. Down each path Cora could see Bokoblin carrying lanterns and clubs, edging on prisoners to move faster. The Bokoblin escorting Cora lead her to her right. This hall contained no tracks, and it was lined with several doors. At the end of the hall was an open circular room. The Bokoblin threw her a pair of the simple cloth uniforms.

"You change here," he barked at her.  
>Cora looked around the open room. There were simple wooden benches along all the walls, and what looked like a cooking pit. "Can I have some privacy?"<p>

The Bokoblin yelled in frustration but turned his back to her.

Cora turned away from the creature and examined the thin material in her hands. She slid off her top with some difficulty, and wormed herself into the new one. She quickly shimmed out of her pants and slid on the new ones. The cool air from the underground cavern pushed against her skin giving her goose bumps.

"What should I do with my clothes?" Cora asked.

The Bokoblin turned to her and disregarded her question, grabbing Cora by the arm and dragging her back towards the wide open room. Cora looked over her shoulder at her pile of Gerudo clothing.

They walked across the room and down a path that was filled with people attacking the walls.

"Link! We have a new one, make sure she does her work right, or it's on you!" The Bokoblin shouted.

Cora's jaw about hit the ground. A tall muscular man turned towards them when he heard his name. His blonde hair was plastered to his face with sweat, and a thin layer of dirt covered his skin. His eyes were a piercing blue, and they were clearly not pleased to see the Bokoblin. He stood straight, a pickaxe dangling from his hand. Cora could see his chest rise underneath his shirt, displaying a small outline of muscle. Cora felt her face flush slightly.

Of all the places for _the _Link to be, why here?

"Yes, sir," Link replied.

The Bokoblin pushed Cora forward and walked away. She looked to Link uncertainly.

"My name is Link. I don't know how you found your way to this unfortunate place, but I'm sorry you're here. I will do my best to make this place as comfortable for you as possible. Rule number one, don't fight the Bokoblin. Don't get brave and try to attack or run away, because when they punish, they punish everyone together. " As he was talking to Cora he began to walk away from her. Cora quickly began following behind him as he spoke.

"Rule number two, be clever about when you take breaks. They are always watching and always looking for a reason to hurt you. Rule number three, we share our food. Sometimes the guards pick favorites, and sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes that's a bad thing." Link reached into a mine cart that was parked on the rails and handed Cora a pickaxe. "Your first few days here I'll keep a close eye on you and make sure you're keeping up and help you if you need it. Once you figure out how things go, you'll be more on your own."

"Why do that? Won't that make it harder on you?" Cora asked.

Link smiled at her. "I can do the work. Always remember, when one does wrong, or is a little behind, or a little tired, everyone gets punished."

Cora stared at him. She was slightly awe-struck by him.

Link brought her over to an area on the wall that wasn't as crowded and began showing her how to use the axe.  
>"Swing a little harder-that's it!" he encouraged. "Try to hook it slightly, it'll help pull the ore out of the wall."<p>

It didn't take long for Cora to build up a sweat. Her hair was sticking to the back of her neck and face, and in an effort to relieve herself of it she tucked her hair behind her ear. She did her best to make sure she was always busy swinging when a Bokoblin passed her. Looking around, the rest of the people worked on like machines, hardly looking like they were tired at all. Cora was breathing heavy and her arms felt like jello. From somewhere far off she heard a whistle blow. All around her people stopped their work. They either gathered up the ore they had broke free and stuffed it into a bag, or walked back to the cart Cora got her pickaxe from and dumped theirs in. Cora followed suit and dropped her pickaxe in. She felt a little lost and decided to just follow everyone else. She felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Sorry, it's just me. Didn't mean to startle you. So, how are you getting along?" Link asked, a big grin on his face.

Cora shrugged. "Alright, I guess."  
>"You know, I never got your name earlier."<br>Cora smiled. "It's Cora."  
>"Cora, that's a nice name. So, how did a Gerudo get captured?" Link questioned.<p>

Cora's mind raced. How did he know she was a Gerudo? Suddenly she became very aware of the hair tucked behind her ear and she quickly pulled it back down.  
>"Don't worry, I have no qualms with you," Link explained in earnest.<p>

Cora looked around the room anxiously. She had gotten so used to trying to hide it and being on guard, but she didn't figure her being a Gerudo was a very pressing matter for people here. Link guided her down a hall lined with doors. "You'll be down this one," he explained.

They walked to the end of the hall where a room similar to the one she changed in was. People were sitting on the wooden benches conversing amongst themselves or trying to dig some of the dirt out from underneath their nails. Link sat down on an open bench and motioned for her to sit beside him.

"So, you never answered my questioned," he pressed.  
>"Well, I'm not really a Gerudo," Cora explained.<br>Link cocked an eyebrow. "You know, you really don't have to hide it from me."  
>Cora shook her head. "That's not it. Anyways, I was captured in a fight."<br>Link stared at the ground and nodded thoughtfully.  
>"How did you get here Link?" Cora questioned.<p>

"I lived in a small village on the edge of the Lost Woods. They came to my village just to gather people to work in the mines. They wanted to take our village leader who was older, and I stepped in to take his place."

Cora looked at him admiringly, but not for long. Her focus was broke when Bokoblin's came into the room and began handing out bread to everyone. One of them set a tray of raw meat down by the fire pit. Cora was skipped on her turn to receive bread, and she was a feeling it was on purpose. Link broke off half of his bread and gave it to her. "We share our food," he said smiling.

Cora took a bite out of it greedily. She saw several people huddled around the fire pit, striking two stones together, trying to get a fire started. They weren't having much luck. It didn't help that they didn't have the right kind of equipment for what they were trying to accomplish.

"Reed, do we not have any matches left?" Link asked.  
>The man shook his head. "We used the last one the other day."<p>

Link furrowed his brow in thought. Cora looked about the room while she swallowed her bread. Shakily, she said, "I can help."  
>Surprised faces, including Link, looked to her. She rose from her seat and walked to the fire. She knelt in front of it. She looked down at the silver bracelets around her hands, they shone bright white against the dark metal of her shackles. She extended her palm out to the fire, and with a simple thought, a small ember rolled off her hand and landed in the pit, bringing forth a fire. She stood and looked around the room. The two men who had been working on the fire were now against the walls of the room, and all eyes were on her. She looked back to Link.<p>

His arms were crossed and he was smiling. "Not quite Gerudo, huh?"

Cora looked down at the tray of food. She picked up a small piece of meat, her hand erupted into a flame that wrapped around the meat. The sizzling sound and smell of cooked meat filled the room. Her fire went out and she tossed the meat to Link. He caught it and immediately took a bite out of it. Everyone in the room watched him, waiting for a verdict.

After he swallowed, he stated," That's some darn good meat."  
>Cora smiled. Everyone gathered around her and Cora began taking orders.<p>

Everyone warmed up to her after that. Total, there were fifteen people who stayed in their hall. There was a collage of Hylians of different genders and ages, but one that stuck out was a young Goron. Link introduced him as Gable.

"How did you find yourself so far from the mountains?" Cora questioned.

"They came and threatened us. They wanted us to help them, because they knew we'd speed up the process. My tribe refused, and at first we put up a fight. They had a lot more men than us, though. So we rolled away. I went too fast and lost control and rammed into a cliff, separating myself from the rest."

"Gable, I'm so sorry to hear that," Cora said. She placed her hand on the young Goron's arm.  
>He shrugged. "One day I'll make it back to my tribe. They went to a sacred place deep inside the mountain range where they knew they'd be safe. My dad told my stories about it since I was old enough to sit up."<p>

Cora smiled reassuringly, " I know you will."

That evening, Link showed her to one of the rooms off the hall. Inside the room were two sets of bunk beds. She climbed into one that was empty and almost instantly fell asleep.

The next few days passed similar to Cora's first day. They awoke what Cora was assumed early in the morning, and worked until evening. She was surprised the Bokoblin King, Bachy, hadn't requested to talk to her or see her since her first day there. For the fact she was 'captured', she didn't feel very valued. She continued cooking everyone meals for them in the evening. A few people from another hall had heard of what she was doing and had brought their meat to her to cook. Link and her talked every single evening and had quickly become friends.

He told her stories of the village he grew up in, which sounded a lot like Ordan village to Cora. It was on the edge of the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest. One of his closest friends was a girl name Saria who lived in Kokiri. Cora couldn't help but smile every time he told her a story or talked about someone she knew from the game. It was too surreal. Cora hadn't revealed much about herself to Link, and he hadn't really asked much, until this evening.

"So, if you're not a Gerudo, what are you?" Link asked.

Cora bit her lower lip. "It's difficult to explain."  
>Link shrugged. "Try?"<br>Cora sighed. "Do you believe in the three Goddesses, Din, Faroe, and Nayru?"  
>Link scoffed. "Of course I do."<p>

Cora paused. "Well, I'm not from this world. Have you not wondered why I can control fire?"  
>Link smiled. "Of course. I figured you'd explain that in due time."<br>"Like I said, I'm from a different world, completely unlike Hyrule. Completely different. You can't get to my world from Hyrule, it's in some place completely separate. Din brought me here." Cora looked to Link anxiously.

Link's eyes widened. "The Goddess Din? You've met her?"  
>Cora nodded.<br>Link leant back against the wall and crossed his arms. "Wow, that must have been amazing."  
>Cora tilted her head. "After what I just said, and you're caught up on me meeting Din?"<br>Link shrugged. "Well, yeah. Din is a Goddess. She can do anything, apparently even bringing someone from another world as you say. That's amazing."

Cora laughed.

"What's so funny?" Link asked.  
>"You just accepted that so easily, without a doubt." She explained.<br>"I have faith in my Goddesses," Link stated with a smile. "Why did she bring you here?"

Cora bit her lip, wondering how much she should say. "Have you noticed how the king hasn't been acting normal? And bad things have been happening, such as this place? She brought me here to help."

Link nodded. "I feel like there's something I could do, something I could do to help. I'm not quite sure, but somehow I feel as though I could help."

Cora smiled and shook her head. "I have a feeling that you're right."  
>"Really?" Link's eyes lit up.<br>Cora nodded. "I think that is a real possibility."

Link stared at her for a moment before speaking. "I've never met anyone like you before."|  
>Cora chuckled. "That's because I'm from a different world, remember?"<p>

Link laughed. "That's true."

The next morning, Cora rose with all of the other workers and made her way out into the opening. She picked up her tools and set to work. She was becoming more rhythmic, able to pace herself and get a good rhythm going. She lucked out and found an area that had a lot of ore that was easily breaking off. She loaded up a cloth sack and slung it over her shoulder. She made her way back down the hall and into the main room. She made the mistake of not watching her feet and tripped over the tracks. She fell to her right and knocked into a Bokoblin in passing, spilling her ores everywhere. Almost as a reflex the Bokoblin brought out its club and smacked Cora on the back of her shoulders. Cora screamed and fell to the ground. Cora cowered on the ground and waited for a second blow, but it never came. She looked up to see Link had grabbed the club out of the Bokoblin's hand. The Bokoblin was now cowering underneath Link and the raised club.

"Nothing happened here as far as I see, got it?" the Bokoblin hurriedly nodded and began to crawl away. Link dropped the club and turned to Cora. Cora looked into his crisp blue eyes and saw his concern. "Are you ok?"

Cora pulled herself to her knees and felt pain shooting down her right arm. "My arm is dislocated." She fought to keep tears back. She had her arm dislocated before, once while swimming. She knew it would pop back into place easily enough, but that didn't stop it from radiating pain down her whole right side. Link pulled her to her feet and examined her arm.

"I'm going to try to pop it back in, are you ready?" he asked.

Cora bit her lip and nodded. He gently grabbed her arm and tugged back with an audible pop. Cora fought the urge to scream but a single tear rolled down her cheek. Link wrapped his arm across the back of her shoulders and began walking her down the hall where their rooms were.

He walked her into her room and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "Rest, I'll work harder to help compensate."  
>Cora shook her head, "I don't want you to have to do that."<p>

Link reached up and brushed a tear away from her cheek, sending shivers down Cora's skin. "It's alright, I'll be fine. You just make sure you're okay and rest." He stood from her side and left the room. Cora laid back on her pillow. She could still feel his finger brushing across her skin.

_Cora could feel the soft grass gently brushing against her skin as the wind blew. She opened her eyes and had to blink against the bright light. She turned her head to the side and sat up. She was in the clearing she often met Din in, but this time, it was not Din who demanded her audience._

_A beautiful lady with short green hair stood in the center of the clearing. The wind seemed to swirl around her. Butterflies and birds circled around her and landed on her shoulders without fear. Her eyes were a bright and pure green, piercing into Cora's._

_"Bring him to me," the women spoke. Her voice echoed across the field and sent shivers across Cora's skin. She didn't have to ask to know that this was Farore. She laid back down on the grass and closed her eyes._

Cora awoke to rough hands grabbing her and pulling her out of bed. Her shoulder screamed in protest. She groaned in protest and struggled to find her footing as they pulled her along. She got into the main area and saw several Bokoblin's handling Link the same way.

"Cora!" he shouted at her. His face was full of concern and Cora felt a fluttering in her stomach.

"You're little stunt has earned you an audience with king Bachy," the Bokoblin spat at her.  
>"There's no need to be so rough," Cora spat.<p>

They drug them both up the hall and up the numerous stairs. Cora found herself back in the throne room. She blinked in the brightness from the light, she was so used to the dim underground. She looked up to the ceiling. This time, Cora noticed that the ceiling was actually completely stained glass. She had not noticed this before. She couldn't examine it long before king Bachy cleared his throat. Link was pushed besides her, she could feel his arm against hers.

"It was all my fault sir, I caused the problem," Link stated.

"Hush! I will speak. You have attacked one of my mine, slowed down production, and worst of all, you've given the prisoners reason to believe that this sort of behavior is acceptable. This is a great problem, a great problem indeed."

Cora twisted her hands in her manacles.

"Now I have to decided a punishment for the two of you. As for the rest, I believe two days without food or water with be plenty to keep them in line," Bachy explained.  
>"No! It wasn't their fault!" Link shouted.<br>"You of all people know our rules Link," he smirked.

Bachy turned to a man on his right to state a command. Cora whispered, "Do you trust me Link?"

He gave the tiniest nod. Cora shifted closer to Link, her body firmly pressed against his. His skin was warm and she could feel it through her clothes. Her skin crawled with goose bumps.

"I'm afraid for you Link, this is going to be the end of the line. I think a public display of your death will also do nicely to keep the rest in line. As for you Cora, I have strict orders not to kill you, so, I'll have to be more creative," Bachy chuckled.

Cora didn't pay attention to what he said next. Cora linked her arm over Link's, and faced her palms towards the floor. In that split second, she forced all of her energy, frustration, and pain down to her hands. Flames erupted from her palms, searing the ground. Link and Cora shot into the air, below them a giant geyser of flame.  
>"Brace yourself!" Cora shouted.<p>

Their bodies busted through the stained glass ceiling. Cora could see Bokoblin's scurrying beneath her and Bachy jumping from his throng. Cora could see nothing but forest around them. She urge more energy down her hands, forcing them higher. She began to arch, sending them away from the mines. Cora released her fire as they freely flew through the air. Link clutched onto Cora tightly. She waited as long as she could, trying to save energy, before forcing the flames from her hands once again. This time, in an attempt to slow their selves. Her flames hit the forest floor in a ball of fire, and she slowly brought them down to the ground. Only feet away, she relinquished her flames. They landed on the ground and rolled. Cora's arm screamed in protest; she fought away tears.

Link shakily pulled her to her feet. "Are you ok?"  
>Cora nodded.<br>"That was amazing-you're amazing!" he shouted. He wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug and pulled away laughing. "I can't believe I'm free."

Cora felt sick to her stomach. She swallowed several times, fighting away the urge to be sick.

"Do you want to rest?" He asked concerned.

"No, we need to keep moving and find somewhere safer," Cora explained. "But first," she wrapped her hands around Link's manacles. They began to heat, splitting where she grasped. She did the same to hers, one at a time.

Link linked his arm under Cora's to help support her as they walked. She had used a lot of energy and magic, more than she had in a long time. They began making their way through the forest in search of a place to rest.


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Link had a natural talent for finding his way through the forest. He looked very much at home as he pushed the way through tree branches and brush. He had found a small stream that briefly allowed them rest. They washed as much of their body as they could without being in the water and drank their fill. Not long after, Link found a cave. Cora had been resting on the cool cave floor, dozing in and out of sleep. Her eyes opened to see Link leaning against the cave entrance looking out.

"Does Faroe have a temple, or a shrine?" Cora asked.  
>Link looked over his shoulder at her. "That's an odd question, but yes. It's in the heart of the Lost Woods."<br>"Can you take me there?" she asked.  
>Link walked over and sat down next to her. "Yes. May I ask what for?"<br>Cora shrugged. "I feel like that's where I need to go. Is it far?"

Link thought for a moment. "Maybe a day or two walk. Depending on accurate my sense of direction is."  
>Cora smiled. "I have a feeling you're pretty dead on with it."<br>Link shrugged. "Don't like to brag, but I do rarely get lost."  
>"Oh, I'm so sure Mr. Woodsmen," Cora teased. Link was easy going; she felt at ease around him and felt as though she could talk freely.<p>

"Speaking of which, tomorrow I will search for some edible plants as we walk."

"I'm glad I've got you with me," Cora said. She closed her eyes with intent of trying to sleep again. Without much warning, Cora felt Link's lips against her cheek. Her eyes flew open and she gaped at him.

Link blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that."  
>"No, it's okay," Cora stammered, returning the blushing.<br>"It is?" His voice perked up.  
>"Well, I mean, I'm not mad or anything," Cora stammered. "But um, that probably shouldn't happen anymore." Cora tried to choose her words carefully. She did not want to hurt his feelings. In addition, she was not sure if she really believed what she was saying. Was this ok? She thought about her life and her fate here, Link's fate.<p>

Link smiled. "It's okay, I understand." He lay down on the cave floor beside her.  
>Cora looked up to the cave ceiling. What just happened?<p>

Link awoke before Cora did and had found some herbs and mushrooms to eat on their morning walk. It was not the best meal she had ever had, but it was better than nothing. They did not speak about what had happened last night and Cora was fine with that. It was so awkward and she was not sure what it meant, if anything.

Cora felt a lot better after having food in her stomach. She still did not feel 100%, but most of her nausea was gone.

"What is your world like?" Link asked.

"Huge. Much bigger than here. With tons and tons of people. Everything is different. What people wear; eat, say, how they look. We do not have people that look like Goron's, Zora's, or anything like that. Everyone looks similar to what I look like. It's noisy with huge buildings and everyone is always so busy." Cora sighed. "You're not missing out on much."

Link smiled. "I think it sounds intriguing."

They spent most of the afternoon playing twenty questions without interruption. It was hard for Cora to describe what cars were like, and what certain things were. She wished she could show Link a picture.  
>"I can't believe we've made it so far without any trouble," Cora stated.<p>

Link nodded." Me too." He picked up a stick off the ground. It was an inch or two thick and long. He examined it in his hands and spun it around him. He continued on, using it as a walking stick.

Cora could not help but smile.

"I hear running water. We can take a rest," Link smiled back at her. Cora ran a few steps to catch up with him. They walked around a large tree and down a small hill, and sure enough, there was a small stream.

Cora knelt by the edge of the water, cupped her hands, and drank the fresh, cool water. It was so clean and delicious, not anything like the chemical flavored water back home. This was pure and untouched.

Link walked knee deep into the water and mimicked Cora. He ran some water through his hair. Cora had to try hard not to stare. He turned to walk out of the water and as he stepped onto the shoreline, a giant flower sprung up from the ground. It snapped its jaws, a sickening drool dripped from its teeth. Link instinctively raised his walking stick up just in time. The plant lashed around it then drew back, swaying side to side. Its mouth split; instead of going horizontally, it was not vertical. Realization hit Cora.

"Link! Slash downwards through its mouth!" she shouted.

Link nodded. He took a step forward; with a yell, he brought the wooden stick downwards, slicing through the delicate membrane holding the flower together. The mouth split in two and fell to the ground. Link reached down to the carcass, near the base of the head, and pulled out a hand full of seeds. He walked to the stream and rinsed them off.

"Deku nuts," he explained. "They could come in handy."  
>"I didn't even see that thing when we first came down here," Cora stated.<br>Link nodded. "It must have been biding its time when it had us cornered between it and the water."

Cora walked towards Link. She was drying her hands on the sides of her pants and did not pay attention; her foot caught a rock wrong and she tripped forward. Before she was aware, Link's arms were around her, and her face was against his chest. She could feel the firmness of his muscle through his thin shirt. She could feel his strong hands on her lower back. Cora's heart raced.

She pushed off his chest and looked up at his face. He was a good head taller than she was, and he was smiling down at her with his clear blue eyes. Cora smiled awkwardly. "It's hard to believe that I'm a fairly skilled fighter with how clumsy I am," she laughed. She tried to pull away from Link, and she felt his hands resist for just a second before he let go.

"You fight? With a sword?" he questioned.  
>"Well, yeah. If you recall, I was captured in a battle," she reminded him.<br>"I kind of pictured that maybe it was just a battle in a town you were in. Not that you actually fought," he teased, giving her a wink.

"Well, I'll have you know I am fairly skilled with a sword and a bow," she stuck her nose in the air playfully. She held her hands out in front of her. "I'm not too bad with just my hands either."  
>Link laughed. "I could see that"<p>

They walked a few more minutes in silence before Cora asked, "Have you ever used a sword before?"  
>Link thought for a moment. "No, I never had much need to. My village was a peaceful one."<br>" Well you seemed like a natural with a stick," Cora pointed out.  
>Link laughed. "Well then let's just hope my opponents don't bring swords."<p>

They walked for several more hours. The forest was gradually becoming more dense and harder to navigate. Link told her this was a good sign they were getting closer to the Lost Woods.

They stopped at the base of a very large tree that had several branches going in every which direction. "We'll sleep up here tonight. It won't be safe on the ground."  
>Cora looked up the tree. "Sounds good to me."<p>

Link took a few steps back to get a running start and skillfully jumped up to the first branch. He stood with his hands on his hips looking down at Cora.

Cora gauged the distance and height. She did not think she would be able to make it, but it was worth a try. She gave herself an even longer running distance than Link. She took off running as fast as she could. As her foot hit the tree, she got two steps in before she could not go higher. She reached out her arm for the branch, but she was not going to reach it. Link's hand slapped against her forearm and stopped her in her fall. She looked up at him. She walked her feet up the tree with his help and pulled herself to his branch.

"Thanks," she breathed.

They mimicked this a few more branches up the tree. Link would climb ahead and then assist Cora up. Every time his hand wrapped around her arm it gave her chills. They stopped on a wide branch that was big enough to sit on. It was perfect timing, because it was just starting to get dark. Cora heard a howl somewhere off in the forest.

Cora shivered slightly in the night air. "So, how are we going to do this?"  
>Link sat with his back against the trunk of the tree. "Lean against me. It'll help keep us warm, too."<p>

Cora blushed furiously. She hoped it was dark enough he could not tell. She walked towards him and turned her back to him, carefully sitting down. She scooted back until she felt her back against his body and leant against him. Link wrapped his arms around her. She was significantly warmer now, but part of it was from the mad blushing happening on her face. Cora leaned her head back against his shoulder. She could feel every breath he took. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

_Whitney was smiling at her. They were laughing about something funny she had just said. Something about the boy she was dating, what was his name? Whitney thought Cora liked one of his friends, but Cora was not even sure herself. They are sitting in Cora's room on her bed in pajamas, a package of Oreos in front of them._

_The scene shifts and they are walking down the street drinking smoothies._  
><em>"Ugh, I can't wait to get down to the river," Whitney says.<em>  
><em>"I know! It's so hot, and I can't believe we haven't been yet," Cora said.<em>

_The scene shifts and they are in the antique mall._  
><em>"Hey, Whitney, I have found something cool," Cora called to her.<em>

_They are falling through the air and she lands in the battle that terrible night. She and Whitney are running, she thinks they are going to make it. They will make it out of this mess. Cora turns to look at her best friend to see blood running down her neck. Her friend's face is ghostly white._

_"No!" Cora's scream echoes across the battlefield._

She jolts herself awake, screaming. She just about falls out of the tree but Link's arms tightens around her, pulling her back against his body.

She is panting heavily. Her shirt is plastered against her skin with sweat. Her heart is racing, pounding beneath her chest. Tears sit in her eyes.  
>"Hey, what's wrong?" Link says softly.<p>

Cora does not answer. She sits there for a moment, feeling her heart slow down. She pulls from Link and stands up. The sun has just risen; a small trickle of sunlight making it down to them. Cora wipes her eyes.

"Just a bad dream," she mumbles. She turns to Link. "Shall we make our way down?"  
>Link looks at her for a moment. He nods and stands up. "Let's go."<p>

With Link's help, they make it out of the tree. The soft forest floor is still wet with morning dew. A cool morning breeze does not help matters and gives Cora shivers. She was really starting to miss the warm son of the desert. Ganondorf's face flashed in her mind. The desert. She had been gone for so long. Were they looking for her? Ganondorf would probably be angry that she had gone off and made it harder on them to find her.

They did not walk long, perhaps a couple of hours before Link stopped. "There's the entrance."

Cora looked ahead. The branches from trees and bushes had wound themselves together, forming an archway. The brush was so dense; it looked like the entrance to a cave.  
>"Stay close to me. If you get lost in here, I may not be able to find you," he cautioned.<p>

They walked through the archway. Ahead of them was a small clearing and three more arches. One in front of them, and one to either side. Link leads them to the right. As they walk through, they faced a scene like the one they just passed. A small clearing with three choices. They walk through the left.

As they walk through, a small creature in the center of the clearing pops out of the ground and shoots a projectile at them. Link is quick to raise his stick and ricochet it back. It hits the creature, screeching in pain. It recedes back into the ground.

They go to the right. Three more of the same creatures pop out of the ground. Cora jumped to the side to avoid their attack. A ball of fire formed in her hand, she through it at the creature, bursting it in flame. Link volleyed the other two's attacks, sending them retreating.

They walk through the level archway, and two wolfos stand in the clearing. Cora's gauntlets sprung to life, covering her hands. She readied them, a flame in either hand. Link braced himself with his stick. One of them charges at Link, but he blocked the attack and gave it a good whack on the side of the head. Cora jumped out of the way of her assailant. She shot a ball of fire at its side. The smell of singed hair filled the air. The animal howled in pain and charge at Cora. Cora smacked it on the side of the face with a palm of fire and moved out of the way. She gathered a large ball of fire between her two hands and shot it at the beast. The animal's entire body caught on fire. It howled in pain before it fell to the ground in a pile of ash. With a resounding thud, Link gave his beast a final hit before it fell to the ground. Link was panting slightly.

"Good team work," he grinned.  
>Cora smiled. "Not too bad for a walking stick."<p>

They continued straight, followed by a left and then a right. When they walked through the final archway, Cora could almost feel the change in atmosphere. In front of her was a scene that was both familiar and foreign to her. They were in the Sacred Forest, near the entrance to the Forest Temple.

In front of her stood a large white stone gazebo. Cora and Link walked to it. The floor had the triforce carved into it. Near the front was a stone that held Farore's symbol. Cora stepped into the gazebo, half expecting something to happen.

She walked to the stone. She turned to Link. "Pray with me, Link."

Cora knelt in front of the stone and clasped her hands together. She could feel Link beside her. She closed her eyes.

_"I have brought him Farore."_  
><em>Cora felt the wind swirling around her. She opened her eyes and found herself standing in a clearing, Link standing beside her.<em>

_"What is this place?" Link asked._

_A blinding light flashed before them, forcing them to cover their eyes. When Cora opened them, there before them stood a beautiful women. Her eyes shone bright green._

_"I am the Goddess of Courage, I am Farore," She spoke._  
><em>Link gaped at her in awe. He fell to his knees.<em>

_"I thank you Cora for bringing him to me. Link, it is time you realized your destiny. Hyrule is facing dark times. This evil is a clever one who has tricked the people of Hyrule. It has not however fooled Hyrule's Goddesses. We need the help of the chosen hero of time. That is you, Link." Farore raised her hands. A great wind rushed towards Link and hit him in the chest. Cora was caught off guard when the same thing happened to her._

_She saw images flashing before her mind; past heroes and warriors. She saw flashes of bows notched, swords clanging against metal; she saw faces she had never seen before. She heard their voices in their head. "Raise your chin, lower your shoulder, hold tense in your gut, and spread your feet apart."_  
><em>It continued in a blur of words and faces. She then saw herself, standing alone in the arena in the desert. She saw her body swinging the sword the way she had seen in the images. She looked as though she was dancing; she leaped and jumped, swinging the sword in circles. Her sword disappeared for a bow. Targets appeared around her in a circle. She spun on a dime, landing an arrow in the center of each.<em>

_Cora's vision cleared and she was once again in the Goddesses clearing. She turned to Link and gasped. He was no longer in the simple white garments, but instead wore a majestic green tunic. A green hat was upon his head. He seemed to stand with more confidence more power. He looked to Cora, his eyes now fiercer. Cora smiled at him._

_"Cora, I have given you the blessing of heroes past. You will now possess the courage to land your blows with accuracy. Link, I have awakened you to your true form. You are our chosen hero. Go forth and save Hyrule from this evil," Faroe spoke._

_The clearing began to fade from her vision._

Cora stood inside the gazebo, facing Link. He looked just as Cora remembered him as. He looked strong and powerful.

"I have to return to my village," Link explained. "Will you accompany me?"

Cora smiled. Part of her wanted to follow Link on his adventure, to help him. She knew in her heart that this was not her place. Link had to make this journey alone. Cora shook her head. "I am needed elsewhere. I have complete faith that you will be great Link."

"Will I see you again?" Link asked.  
>"I believe you will. We are both fighting the same fight, just in different ways."<p>

Link stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Cora. "I've never known anyone like you before, and I fear I never will again."  
>Cora was not sure what to say, so she hugged Link back. "Goodbye for now, Link. Thank you for everything."<p>

Link pulled away from her and began walking back towards the Lost Woods. Cora watched as his figure disappeared in the archway. She stood there for a moment, alone in the Sacred Forest. Everything was so calm and quiet. How was she supposed to make her way back to the dessert?

Cora made her way out of the Lost Woods, carefully retracing her steps. She stepped out of the archway, back in the forest Link and she had traveled in for several days. How long had she been gone? A week? She was not sure how much time had passed when she had been underground in the mines. What felt like a day could have been longer or shorter. She wondered if they were still searching for her; did they think she had died?

Cora wandered without much sense of direction for the better part of the day. To her great surprise, she came across a path cutting through the forest. She decided to follow it. If nothing else, it would bring her out to a village at some point. She walked for a while without much excitement, when she heard what sounded like a wagon. She looked behind her. It was definitely a wagon, and maybe a couple of horses. Part of her told her that she should hide, but part of her hoped that whoever it was would be able to help her.

Cora stopped, standing to the side of the path. A covered wagon makes its way up the path, pulled by a dark brown horse. In the seat is a girl about Cora's age with long red hair. Cora smiles, recognizing her immediately. Cora waves at the girl. The girl brings the wagon to a stop.  
>"What are you doing all the way out in the woods alone?" the girl questioned.<p>

"I got a bit lost wandering around out here. I am trying to find my way back to a town. Would you be able to help me?" Cora questioned.

The girl studied her for a second before nodding. "Sure, my name is Cremia." A small, almost replica of Cremia, pokes its head out from behind the wagon. "This is my little sister Romania," she explains.

The little girl waves at Cora. "Hi!"  
>Cora waves back. "My name is Cora."<br>She climbed into the seat of the wagon beside Cremia. "So, what are you transporting?" Cora asked.

"Milk. We own a ranch where we supply most of Hyrule's milk. My cousin Malon and her dad also own a ranch closer to Hyrule Castle," Cremia explained.

Cora smiled. "Wow that sounds exciting. Do you raise anything besides cows?"  
>" We have a couple horses, but primarily cows. It can be a full time job just keeping up with them," Cremia joked.<p>

"I help with milking the cows!" Romania interjected. "I also brush them and make sure they're nice and warm in the barn."  
>" Well, it sounds like you have a very important job," Cora commented.<p>

The sound of baying horses could be heard.  
>"Oh no," Cremia moaned.<br>"What's wrong?" Cora asked.

"Sometimes we encounter thieves in these woods. They try to steal our milk," she explained.  
>"I'll get them with my bow!" Romania exclaimed.<br>"No you won't," Cremia cautioned. "I don't want you getting hurt."  
>" Nevertheless, what are we going to do? We can't just let them take the milk," Romania pleaded.<p>

"I can help," Cora offered.  
>Cremia looked at her. "You can?"<br>" I am good with a bow. It'll be payment for the ride you're giving me," Cora said.  
>Cremia nodded. "Ok. Get in the back, you can use Romania's bow. Keep them at bay. They usually stop once we leave the forest," Cremia stated.<p>

Cora climbed into the back of the wagon.

"Here you go," Romania said, offering Cora her bow.  
>"Thanks. This is a very fine bow," Cora said with a smile. As she notched an arrow, she saw two hooded figures racing down the path, gaining on their heavy load. Cora drew back her bow and steadied her aim. She fired at the one on the right, causing them to slow down and fall behind. She quickly notched another arrow and fired at the one on the left. Like the first, it fell behind. The one on the right was now catching up. Cora quickly fired another arrow.<p>

"Yeah! Get em'! Go Cora!" Romania chanted.

Cora kept them at bay with ease, but she had a feeling they had awhile to go before they were out of the forest. Cora glanced down at her dwindling pile of arrows. She needed to come up with a plan.

The two figures were trying to catch up, and Cora saw her opportunity. A tree branch that was a little low. She aimed for the base of it, where it attached to the tree. She quickly fired off two arrows. They split through the wood sending splinters and bark in the air. With her next shot, she focused on what she wanted. Fire shot down her hand and down the arrow. She released the arrow, and it exploded in a burst of flames. The branch fell with perfect timing, hitting both figures and knocking them off their horses. Cora could hear their groans and grunts as they left them behind.

"Yeah! Awesome!" Romania shouted. "You missed it Cremia! Cora was awesome! She knocked them clean off their horses!"

Cora smiled. "I'm glad I was able to help. I believe this is yours," she handed the bow back to Romania. She climbed back up front where Cremia was.

"Sounds like you took care of them for us," Cremia commented.  
>"I'm glad I could help," Cora said.<br>"I'm glad we stumbled across you. Where exactly was it you were heading?" Cremia asked.  
>Cora hesitated before saying, "The dessert."<p>

Without too many questions, Cremia took Cora as close to the dessert edge as she could. With thankful goodbyes and many hugs, Cremia and Romania set back on their path. Cora looked at the scenery before her. The warm breeze from the dessert hit her skin, and she welcomed it. She looked down at the bottle of milk they had given her. It would come in handy on her long walk across the dessert.

Cora started walking. Hoping she would encounter a Gerudo or a village soon.

Happy as she was to be in the dessert, she had lost some of her endurance. The dessert sun was beating down on her skin. She was hot and sweaty, and tired. She looked behind her. All she could see was dessert. No distinguishable buildings or shapes. She hoped she was still heading straight and not veering one way or the other, but she really could not tell. The horizon was a wavy yellow line. She had already drank half of the milk she had been given. She was trying to conserve the rest. Part of her told her to head back while she could still find her way and wait it out, or find another solution. Another part of her told her it could not be much farther. Just over that hill.

To her relief, the sun looked like it was starting to set. She drudged on in half a daze. She took a small swig from her milk. As she did so, she lost her footing and rolled down a hill, the bottle flying from her hand. When she finally stopped moving, she looked up, saw her bottle, and spilt milk on the sand. She groaned. She sat herself up and dusted herself off. She looked behind her and gasped. There was a small pool of water. The sun was setting quickly, giving her relief from the heat. She crawled to the edge of the water and laid herself down in it. She moaned with pleasure. The cool water hit her skin. Cora was surprised she did not hear a slight hissing noise as she cooled off, as hot as she was. She took a mouthful of the water and rolled onto her back. She was so tired; her eyes could barely stay open.

The ground was becoming covered in the shade of night. Just before she closed her eyes, she saw what she was a figure walking towards her. She could not be sure. Her eyes shut from exhaustion.

_She was lying in the grassy clearing where the Goddess Din usually met her. This time it was different, it did not have the same light feeling. Cora looked around. No, this was not the clearing. This was her recreation of it. She breathed in the cool spring air. She ran her arms across the cool, soft grass and enjoyed the feeling._

_"Where have you been?"_

_Cora looked to the voice and saw Ganondorf sitting on the ground, his arm propped up on his knee, in his full black armor._

_No, Cora thought, not armor. In a blink of an eye his clothing change and he was wearing a simple black tunic and black pants. That is better, she thought._

_The Ganondorf in her dream looked down at his clothing and then back at her._  
><em>"I've been a lot of places," Cora answered casually. She studied Ganondorf as he looked around.<em>  
><em>"Where is this?" Ganondorf asked.<em>

_Cora ran her fingers through the grass, completely calm. "This is where Din usually brings me to talk. But this is just my recreation of it, not the real place."_

_Cora did not think much about the conversation. She had had dreams like this before; conversations, or showing people places, or explaining something through her dream. She liked to think it was her brains way of thinking it out before hand._

_Cora sat up suddenly. "Do you want to see where I'm from?"_  
><em>Ganondorf looked at her startled, and then nodded.<em>

_Cora changed the scenery. They were now standing on a street in the town she was from. Cars drove past. Ganondorf looked at them with wonder._  
><em>"What are those?" he asked.<em>  
><em>"Those are cars. That is what we ride, instead of horses. However, some people still ride them. Just not really for getting around, anymore."<em>

_As she walked down the street, the scenery flew past in a blur of colors, stopping at specific places she wanted to show him. "This is where I work, cute little shop, huh?"_

_The scene changed again. "This is where I went to school. These buildings are a lot bigger than most of the ones you have."_  
><em>Ganondorf's face was filled with amazement and confusion. He was trying to take in all the he was seeing, but Cora could see that it was all so different to him.<em>

_Finally, she stopped in front of the antique store. "This is how I came here." She looked through the store's window, putting her hands against the glass. "Whitney and I walked in here and our lives were change forever."_

_Speaking Whitney's name caused a lump to form in her throat. She sat down on the street, the scene changing. It swirled into an image from the night Whitney died. The cart that had tipped over. Gerudo were running all around them. Ganondorf moved to try to get out of the way of one of them, but the person's image passed right through him. Cora could see it all replaying in front of her eyes. She saw the two of them running from the cart, the optimism on Whitney and hers face._

_She watched as the horror covered her face as the arrow pierced Whitney's neck. Cora felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Ganondorf._  
><em>"I'm sorry," he spoke. His voice echoed slightly. Cora whipped a tear away from her eye.<em>

_The scene before her stopped and switched yet again. It shifted to the dessert arena. She watched herself in the arena with Ganondorf, sparring. The Ganondorf in her dream sat down beside her and watched as well._

_The scene shifted to his room. She was waking up in his bed, looking very sick. Ganondorf rushed to her side. He fetched a basin that she hunched over. This was the day after she had over exerted herself._

_Cora did not pay much attention as the scene shifted and it began to change every few seconds. A memory of Ganondorf sitting in his throne. An image of him in the arena. An image of him in battle. Her mind filtered through them without much thought. They began to slow down and settle on a new image._

_"You wanted to know where I had been," Cora said._

_She was in the throne room of king Bachy. She was tied to a chair and surrounded by Bokoblin. The image blurred and now she was walking down the stairs. It blurred once more and now she was face to face with Link. He was showing her where to grab a pickaxe. He was showing her how to use it, and giving her pointers. The image blurred and they were sitting on a bench talking. The image blurred and the Bokoblin was hitting her across the back with his club. Cora fell to the ground in pain._

_"Cora!" Link's voice rang out._  
><em>He had the club in his hand and was threatening the Bokoblin.<em>  
><em>The image blurred and they were flying through the air in a gust of fire.<em>

_Images began to appear briefly before dissipating. They were walking through the woods, drinking from a stream, they were in the cave, Link's lips were against her cheek, they were walking again, Link had found his walking stick, he was attacking the flower, he was catching Cora, they were up in the tree asleep, they were walking through the Lost Woods, she was standing before the Goddess Faroe._

_Cora's face was blank of emotion. Her mind was swirling through all the memories of the past few days. The Ganondorf in her dream sat silently beside her, watching the images fly by. Finally, they settled on her most recent memories of walking through the dessert. She was hot and sweaty, the bottle loosely grasped in her hand._

_Cora laid back and the scene was back to the clearing she met the Goddess in. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air. Ganondorf studied her silently._

_"Are you happy to be back?" he questioned._  
><em>Cora smiled. "I've missed the desert."<em>

Cora awoke with a start. She shot upright. She quickly became aware she was lying in a bed on silk sheets. She looked around the room confused, and it all started to fall in place. She was in Ganondorf's bedroom. Her eyes searched for him, and she found him standing by a window looking out.

A swell of emotion overcame her and without much thought, she jumped out of the bed and ran towards him. He was wearing the same black tunic and pants that he had had in her dream. He turned towards her just in time as she clasped her arms around his chest and hugged him. She caught him off guard and he stumbled back a step. He rested his arms around her shoulders.

She pulled away from the hug with a grin on her face. "How did you find me?"  
>Ganondorf smiled. "You were passed out in the dessert. I just happened to be riding past when I saw you fall."<p>

Cora laughed. "I don't even remember seeing you coming. Well, I'm glad you found me."  
>"What exactly made you think you could make it across the dessert on foot, without water?" he teased.<br>"Well, I didn't have any other options," Cora shrugged.

Cora looked out the window. "I'm so glad to be back. I was beginning to think I would never make my way back here. I have to tell you everything that happened."

Cora sat him down on the bed and began to talk through everything that had happened. Ganondorf had called for some food and water to be brought to his room. Cora talked eagerly through mouthfuls of food and water. She retold everything in detail, for the most part. She left out the part about Link kissing her and them sleeping in a tree together. She told Ganondorf about her encounter with the Goddess Farore and what she had seen.

"I'm interested to see if your skill has improved," Ganondorf commented.  
>"I am too," Cora answered.<p>

She plopped back on the bed, her arms spread wide. "It's so nice to be lying in a comfortable bed."  
>Ganondorf lay beside her, his head propped up on his hand.<p>

"How long was I gone?" she asked.  
>"About two weeks," he answered.<br>"Oh wow," Cora answered.  
>"I looked for you, you know. I looked everywhere. I had my people searching every town and village, looking for any trace," he answered absent-mindedly.<p>

"Oh," Cora answered. "I'm sorry if I made it more difficult, I didn't mean to waste your time or your people's time."  
>Ganondorf closed his eyes. "You didn't waste my time. I was worried about you," his voice trailed off.<br>Cora shifted uncomfortably on the bed, unsure of what to say. "Well, I'm really happy you found me."  
>After a few moments of silence she asked, "Should we head to the arena today?"<p>

" I was thinking you could maybe spend a few days relaxing first, and then we can get back to routine," he offered.  
>"That sounds wonderful too," she said.<br>"How about we start with a bath?" he sat up from the bed.  
>"You're reading my mind," she said as she sat up.<p>

They walked together down to the baths.  
>"Do you care if I bathe as well?" Ganondorf questioned.<br>Cora's face turned bright red. "Um, is that appropriate?"  
>Ganondorf shrugged. "It's a pretty giant spring."<p>

He took his shirt off and tossed it to the side. Cora's eyes scanned over his chest. His skin was a dark tan; a small splash of red hair covered the center of his chest. His muscles were well defined, even more so than Link's had been. Cora blushed and looked away. From the corner of her eye, she could see him take his pants off and start to walk into the water.

"I really don't know if I can do this," she said.  
>Ganondorf was chest deep in the water. "Why? You should not be ashamed of your body, you have a beautiful body."<br>Cora slammed her eyes shut. "Yes, because hearing that makes this so much easier. Turn away."

With a smirk, Ganondorf turned his back to Cora. She shakily took off her shirt and pants and ran to the water. She quickly made her way in and lowered herself so the water was up to her neck. She crossed her arms over her chest.  
>"Okay," she said.<p>

Ganondorf turned to face her. He reached up to his hair and undid a clip of sorts that was holding it in place and tossed it out of the water. He shook his hair loose and dunked under the water. Cora looked at him uneasily. She shook her hair out and leaned back so that it got wet.

He rose from the water, his red hair hanging down either side of his face. Cora took her turn dunking under the water and getting her hair wet. Ganondorf swam towards the edge of the water and grabbed a bar of soap. He ran it across his skin before tossing it to Cora. Instinctively Cora reached out to grab it, but she had to stand up slightly. Remembering that she was completely naked she quickly lowered herself back into the water, blushing. She was not sure if Ganondorf had seen anything or not. She ran the soap over her arms and she could already see the layers of dirt washing away from her skin. She focused on this task until she got to her back. She could not quite reach all the parts. Without warning, she felt hands on her back and she jumped.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.  
>Ganondorf grabbed the soap out of her hand. "Calm down, I'm helping."<p>

Cora crossed her arms over her chest. Ganondorf rubbed the soap across her back. Cora closed her eyes; it felt good and was relaxing. After several moments of scrubbing her back, Ganondorf ran the soap through her hair and tossed it to the side. He massaged her scalp and ran his fingers through her hair. Cora's skin crawled with goose bumps. What was he doing? It felt nice, but Cora was not sure how innocent of a display this was.

"Come over here," Ganondorf gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to the edge of the pool. Ganondorf sat down on one of the steps on the water, his waist still barely covered. "Sit in front of me."

Cora did as he asked, making sure her arms were firmly planted across her chest. When she sat, the water came just above her chest. Ganondorf tilted her had back in his lap and began rinsing her hair in the water.

Cora could not help but notice the proximity of her face with his naked body. The thought gave her shivers and sent heat spreading across her cheeks. Why was he doing this? What was this soft and slightly sensual Ganondorf? Cora was confused and unsure of what game he was trying to play.  
>He sat Cora up and rose from the water. Cora kept her eyes trained in front of her.<br>"I'm dressed, you can get out now," he said teasingly.

"Don't you dare look!" Cora scolded. She looked over her shoulder to make sure his back was turned before she rose out of the water. She grabbed the bottoms to her outfit, which were a bright green. She quickly slid into them. Her back was to Ganondorf as she started putting on her top. Still being damp, it became rolled up in the back. She felt his hand on her back unrolling it. She looked over her shoulder at him with a scowl. "You could at least give me some warning."

Ganondorf chuckled as he straightened out the back of her top. He ran his hand across the back of her shoulders and Cora winced. "Is it bruised?" she asked.  
>"Yes." He pulled her hair back and ran his fingers through it.<p>

Cora turned to face him, confusion on her face. "Why are you doing this?"  
>Ganondorf looked taken back and hurt. "Doing what?"<br>Cora searched for the right words. "Being so gentle and sweet."  
>Ganondorf furrowed his brow. "Do you not like it?"<br>"It is not that, I just-"Cora broke off. What did she mean? She liked the way it felt, but she was not sure what this meant. "Why?"

Ganondorf studied her face. "I want to treat you this way."  
>Cora blushed and looked down at the floor. "Oh."<br>Ganondorf took a few steps towards her. In a soft voice, he said, "Would you rather I treated you differently?"

Cora looked away. This was too much to handle right now. She walked around Ganondorf. "Shall we head back up?" she asked uneasily.  
>Ganondorf smiled at her and followed behind her. She was happy to be back in her Gerudo clothes, they were much more comfortable.<p>

Once they exited the baths, Ganondorf took the lead. "Follow me," he stated. Cora followed by him as he asked. As they passed Gerudo, they waved and smiled, giving her greetings of welcome. She was glad that they had warmed up to her, and that she was not just the outsider anymore.

Cora followed Ganondorf up the hill and realized where they were going; the stables. As they neared, Cora could hear the distinct cry of Erebus. Ganondorf walked to his stable door, which was the only one constructed of metal. He reached through the window and stroked Erebus's nose.

"Would you like to pet him?" Ganondorf offered.  
>"I didn't think he'd like that," Cora said.<br>Ganondorf laughed. "It is unlikely he would do much with me here, but it is possible he'd take a few fingers."  
>Cora rolled her eyes. She looked through the window and her eyes met Erebus's. They were a deep blood red. Without breaking eye contact, Cora reached her hand through the window and placed it on his nose. He snorted and twitched his ears, but he did not move. Cora smiled and stroked his nose.<p>

"See? No harm done," Ganondorf teased.

Cora smiled, a thought coming to her. She withdrew her hand and unlatched his stall door. Ganondorf cocked an eye at her and took a step back. She opened the door and face Erebus. She walked towards him and ran her hand down the side of his neck.

"You're way too beautiful and powerful of a creature to be locked up all the time. May I?" Cora asked. She wrapped her hand in Erebus's mane and with a jump, swung her leg up and over him. He shifted slightly underneath her but he head still. She laid flat against his neck and with a little urging walked him out of the stall. She sat upright once he was out. She looked down at Ganondorf who was grinning from ear to ear.

"I've never seen him let anyone ride him besides me," he stated.  
>"Shall we go for a ride?" Cora questioned.<p>

Ganondorf swung onto Erebus behind Cora with ease. He scooted himself close to Cora, his chest firmly against her back. He reached around her arms and grabbed Erebus's mane. Cora was nuzzled firmly between his arms and against his chest. She leaned back against him; she could feel his heart beat through his chest. She smiled; she was comfortable here.

With a small kick, Erebus raced down the hill. He was more than willing to stretch his legs, and he acted as though the weight of two people was nothing. He jumped over a low-lying fence and bounded down the path. He raced past the buildings and out into the desert. The wind whipped Cora's hair back and gave it a quick drying. Ganondorf's long red hair billowed out behind him like a red banner.

Ganondorf leaned in close to her hear. "Want to see what he can really do?"

Cora hardly had time to reply. Without an audible command, Erebus leapt into the air. Cora expected to come back down, but that was not the case. Erebus bounded across the air just as though it was solid ground. He turned suddenly to the side and jumped, as though he was bounding across a gap. Cora looked down at his hooves. Black and purple clouds surrounded each of his hooves. With another bound Erebus landed firmly back on the ground without a second thought. Cora slid her easily on either side of Erebus's neck. She leaned in close to his hears.

"Can I show you a bit of my magic?" Cora whispered. Erebus's ears twitched. Cora's gauntlets sprung to life. She could feel Ganondorf shift behind her, probably trying to see what she was doing. She could feel her hands on Erebus; she could feel his muscles moving underneath her hand like waves.

_Your power is only as limited as your imagination.  
><em>She felt her power erupt from her fingers. She channeled it down Erebus, down his legs. Fire erupted underneath Erebus's hooves. His hooves singed against the sand. He reared his head back and let out a deep noise. He bounded forward faster and leaped into the air. Cora willed more of her power down Erebus. The heat from her flames projected Erebus into the air and supported them as they galloped across the dessert air. She lowered Erebus back to the earth and relinquished her grip on him.

Cora sat back in her seat, proud of herself. She wished she could see Ganondorf's face. Erebus plowed on for a few more minutes, a non-tiring machine. He began to slow down as they reached the top of a hill. At the bottom, Cora saw a beautiful oasis. There was a small pool of water surrounded by green bushes and a couple trees. Erebus made his way down the hill in no time and stopped at the edge of the water. Cora felt Ganondorf jump down so she followed suit. Ganondorf patted Erebus on the back and stroked his neck. The magnificent beast walked to the water's edge and drank at his leisure.

Ganondorf turned to Cora. "You're becoming very powerful. I didn't know you could do anything like that."  
>Cora shrugged. "I wasn't sure I could either. Din told me my power was only as limited as my imagination. Guess I have a good one," she laughed.<p>

She looked down at the water, which was crystal clear. Cora could see all the way to the bottom of the shallow water.  
>"How long has this place been here?" Cora asked.<br>Ganondorf shrugged. "All of this land was water long ago. It's likely it's been here since the beginning of time."

Cora walked to the water's edge and examined one of the bushes growing around it. There were small purple flowers sprouting from the bush. The bush reminded Cora of the plant heather.  
>Ganondorf sat down at the edge of the water. "Can we talk Cora?"<br>Cora looked at him curiously. What was this about? Cora sat down beside him.

"We need to talk about what we're going to do," he explained. "I think we need to make a journey to Death Mountain and visit the Great Fairy that lives there. She can help with your magic."  
>Cora nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good idea. I think we should also look for Nayru's temple. If Faroe was willing to help me, I think that Nayru will as well."<p>

Ganondorf smiled at her. "I think that's a wonderful idea." He stared out over the water. Cora studied the way his hair fell over his shoulders and down his back. His jaw line and his cheekbones, the way the light played off his skin. He was a beautiful man that was for sure. Ganondorf turned to look at her and caught her gaze. Cora quickly looked away as her cheeks turned a light pink.  
>"We're having a big feast tonight to celebrate your return," he stated.<p>

Cora looked at him, surprised. "Really? For me?"  
>Ganondorf smiled. "Yes. You have helped my people on several occasions. They are grateful for what you have done, and are grateful that you are back safe and sound."<p>

"Are you not afraid?" he asked.  
>Cora looked at him, confused. "Afraid of what?"<br>"Dying," he replied.

Cora paused a moment and thought. "I don't think so. I was brought here to do this; I do not have a choice. Moreover, some part of me feels that I am destined to make it out of this, you know? I do have three Goddesses on my side," she teased.

"What are you going to do when this is all over?" Ganondorf looked her in the eye, waiting for her reply.  
>Cora shrugged. "I always figured that I'd go back home."<p>

Ganondorf looked away. "Just as simple as that? Just leave? After you save and change people's lives?"  
>"I had a life before this. I had a family, friends. I changed those people's lives, too." Cora countered.<br>"Were you married?" Ganondorf ventured.  
>Cora laughed. "No, definitely not. I'm way too young to be married"<br>"Did you not wish to be married?"  
>Cora looked at Ganondorf oddly. "No, that wasn't it. I still had a lot of life to live before I tied myself down. I mean, I am sure one day I will be. I just wasn't ready for that kind of commitment."<p>

Ganondorf suddenly stood from his seat, his back to Cora. "We had better head back and get ready for your feast. There will be a great celebration." He turned to Cora and extended his hand to her. Cora grabbed it and pulled herself up. She dusted the sand off her and hiked herself onto Erebus. They rode back to the Gerudo Village in silence.

They brushed Erebus down and put him back in his stable. They walked together back into the building. They walked straight for the eating hall. As Cora walked through the doors, she could not help but smile. There were lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and different colored banners were hung. There were vases of flowers down the length of the table. The Gerudo in the room were wearing bright colors and all wore golden bracelets and necklaces. Their hair was done up or in curls, and they all greeted Cora with smiles. Cora left Ganondorf's side and ran to the Gerudo women.

"You look so beautiful! I've never seen your hair curled before!" Cora exclaimed. They took turns hugging her.  
>"We are so happy you are safe," one of the women told her.<br>"Come with us, we have a gift for you," another told her.  
>Cora laughed and walked away with the women. Ganondorf watched as she walked away, a slight smile on his face.<p>

Ganondorf walked up to his throne, which had been adorned with flowers and golden trinkets and took a seat. He asked one of her Gerudo for some wine and waited for Cora to come back.

Several minutes passed before there was any sign of the returning women. Gasping could be heard from the depths of the hall. Cora walked into the eating hall. Ganondorf looked up from his cup and caught Cora's eye, freezing in place. Cora wore a traditional red Gerudo outfit. The top of her pants had a thin, golden, sheer fabric that wrapped the length of it. The bottom of her pants had this same sheer gauze border. She had golden rings around her feet that had small bells attached to them, making her jingle every time she took a step. Her top hugged snugly around her breasts, and instead of straps or sleeves, there was more of the golden gauze-like material that sagged over her shoulders down her arms. She had a golden armband around her left arm in the shape of Din's symbol, sitting just below the one burnt into her skin. She had a golden necklace that was thick, with a red triangle in the center. Her hair was up, pieces of it braided, others loose with curls. Her eyes were painted with a faint purple.

She smiled as she held Ganondorf's gaze. She walked towards the table and took a seat to his right, allowing the feast to begin. A whole hog was brought to the table, along with several platters of beef and fish, and some bird Cora was not familiar with. There were several bowls of fresh fruit and steamed vegetables. Throughout the meal several Gerudo visited Cora. They talked and laughed with her throughout most of the evening. There was constant music being played in a corner of the room, and Cora's glass was constantly filled with wine, which she did not mine emptying.

Late into the evening, after everyone had had their fill of food, they gathered around where the music was being played. There were Gerudo playing small drums, a couple playing guitars, some with bells. Cora could not keep track of them as the room swam slightly before her eyes. They began to dance in a circle around the people playing the instruments. Every step Cora took added to the jingles of the bells and the rhythm of the dance. She held hands with two Gerudo women as they danced in a circle. Cora did her best to keep up with the women and to kick her feet as high as they did. She laughed as she stumbled compared to their perfection. Ganondorf joined their circle.

His hair was down and danced around his shoulders. He was quick and light on his feet, and easily kept up with the women dancers. Cora began to laugh uncontrollably, as all the wine she drank caught up with her. The room was spinning; all the bright colors from the outfits and the lanterns began to swirl together. The golden necklace around her neck began to feel very heavy.

Cora was not sure when she stopped dancing, or when she was no longer in the dining hall. Her vision was blurry, and she could just make out that she was in Ganondorf's room. She was confused at first; everything seemed distorted, as if she was higher up in the air. She quickly realized why that was when she felt herself lowered onto the bed. She smiled and laughed. She reached her arms above her head and ran them over the smooth silk sheets.

She looked around for Ganondorf, and saw a dark blurry figure to her right.

"No, you're not-not, done. I need this off-"Cora stammered out her words and reached behind her neck at the thick necklace. Ganondorf helped sit her up in the bed. She leaned against Ganondorf's chest, resting her head against his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him as he unclasped her necklace. He began to lay her back on the bed.  
>"All of it, you have," Cora giggled, "You have to take it all off."<p>

Ganondorf slid off her armband and slid off her ankle bracelets. Cora reached up towards her hair and tried to tug out the clips holding it in. Ganondorf grabbed her hands and laid them by her sides. He ran his hands through her hair, taking out the clips and letting it all down.

Cora closed her eyes and arched her back on the bed. Her body was warm and tingly; her cheeks were flushed. The wine was making her much more daring and uncaring. She reached out her hands towards Ganondorf. He held her hands within his and she pulled him forward. She grabbed him by his tunic and pulled him onto the bed on top of her.

She pulled him close and whispered in his ear, "I said take it all off."  
>She giggled and released her grip on Ganondorf. His ran his nose across hers and down her cheek. He hovered just above her lips and took a deep breath in. Cora could feel him drawing the air in, felt it brush against her skin. She let out a soft moan, willing him to do as he pleased.<p>

Ganondorf placed a soft kiss on her collarbone and pulled away. Cora groaned in protest but did not move from the bed. She felt covers pulled over her body. She rolled onto her side and quickly fell asleep.

_Her eyes closed, but Cora could feel the silk sheets against her skin. Hot hands ran up her arms and across her collarbone, down her sides to her hips. Her hands ran through his thick mess of hair, pulling his face close to hers, his lips pressing against her. Her eyes opened, and before her laid Ganondorf. His bare skin pressed against hers. She wrapped her leg over his, forcing him to roll with her on top._

_Her vision became blurry, and instead of a steamy romance in the bed, she found herself lying in a familiar sunny springtime field in the middle of a forest._  
><em>Cora looked to her left and was slightly surprised to find Ganondorf lying next to her. She was having many dreams about him lately. The cool spring breeze felt nice against Cora's skin.<em>

_"Well, this is a tad duller the steamy bed scene," she said absent-mindedly._

_Ganondorf rolled onto his side and looked at Cora. "How do you feel about me?"_  
><em>Cora smiled. "I assume that's an appropriate question for me to ask after that statement."<em>

_Cora rolled onto her back and thought. She asked herself the question repeatedly; how did she feel about Ganondorf? Her brain clearly had its own ideas of how she felt. She furrowed her brow._

_"I can't picture what my life would be like if I hadn't met him," her voice trailed off. "But are you asking me if I love him? I am not sure. Wouldn't you know more than me?"_  
><em>" Why would I know more?" he questioned.<em>

_Cora laughed. "Is this the old, follow your heart, not your head routine?" Cora shook her head. In a serious tone, she added, "I don't think I could love him. I mean, what good would come from it? We come from two different worlds, and I won't be here forever."_

_" What if you could stay here?" he asked._  
><em>Cora furrowed her brow. Was that a possibility?<em>

Cora's eyes slowly peeled open. She had been having many dreams about Ganondorf lately. She found it odd that her sub conscious was taking on the form of him. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and suddenly found that her head was pounding. She looked to her left and found Ganondorf was lying in the bed with her, shirtless. Cora admired his chiseled form and was reminded of the first part of her dream last night and smiled. She could not deny the idea of his chiseled body against hers was not appealing. Cora could see from the light coming through the window that it was still very early.

She admired Ganondorf's body a few more seconds and reflected on her thoughts. How did she feel about this man? She was not sure. He's made her stronger, he's taught her, saved her, sheltered her and made her feel part of this world. She felt a small flutter in her stomach when she saw him, but he also made her very nervous, so she was not sure what the flutter was from.

She reached her hand out for Ganondorf's shoulder but hesitated before her skin made contact with his. Did she really want to do this? Yes. She had to find out what he meant to her in her heart.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. He stayed still, his chest slowly rising and falling. She slid it across his chest, letting her hand rest just over his heart. Still, he did not move. Remember her dream, she rolled more up on her side and slid her leg across his. She felt him shift underneath her; she quickly slammed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. She waited to see if he would move her hand or roll away. He ran the back of his hand across her forehead, brushing back her hair. Cora waited a few moments before she slowly ventured to open her eyes. His eyes were still shut, still sleeping. Cora watched him for a moment before shutting her eyes and drifting back to sleep.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13  
>[Author's Note: <strong>Thank you everyone for the reviews, you have no idea how much I love hearing back from you guys!**]**

Cora awoke alone in the bed, and in the room. She sat up slowly, a little disgruntled. She had wanted to watch his reaction. She swung her legs off the bed. She saw a chair beside the bed that had a fresh pair of clothes. Her jewelry from the night before was neatly placed on a table. Her outfit today was purple. She folded her old clothes and put them back on the chair. She examined the jewelry and decided to put the armband on. She liked it, and she liked the way it felt on her arm. She gathered her hair into a ponytail and walked out of the room. She walked down to the dining hall and grabbed some food.

"Cora, you're dancing was magnificent," a Gerudo commented to her.  
>Cora smiled. "I think the wine helped."<br>The Gerudo laughed and left her be.

A more familiar face sat down next to her.  
>"Haven't seen you in awhile Serene, how are you?" Cora questioned.<br>Serene smiled at her. "I am well. I have been to a quest in a village."

Cora smiled. "A quest? And what sort of quest?"  
>" To be with child, of course," she said with a matter-of-fact tone.<br>Cora's jaw about hit the ground. "What?"

Serene rolled her eyes. "How do you suppose our tribe survives on? A male is only born once in a hundred years. So we go to the villages, drink with, and seduce the men."

Cora stared at Serene wide-eyed. "Are you're ready for this? To be a mother?"  
>Serene shrugged. "I am at a common age to think of having children. If I'm lucky, I can have a few."<br>Cora shook her head in disbelief. "Are you pregnant?"

Serene shrugged again. "Only time will tell. For someone so against having children, I should hope you're eating lock root."

Cora furrowed her brow. "Lock what?"  
>"Lock root. It prevents babies," Serene explained.<br>"Why would I need to eat that?' Cora asked confused.  
>"I see how many nights you spend in Ganondorf's bed, all of us do. We're not blind," Serene chastised.<br>Cora shook her head in disbelief. "No, Serene, it's not like that. We have not-"Cora choked on her words, "_nothing _has happened."

Serene laughed. With a wink, she said, "Only time will tell." She rose from the table and left.  
>Cora held her head in hands. This is what they thought was going on between them? Cora was reminded of her plans that morning and her dreams the night before. She had spent most of her nights in his bed. Did that mean something? She had not ever thought of it before. She closed her eyes and groaned.<p>

Trying to analyze all of her thoughts and emotions was giving her a headache. That was it, she decided. She was just going to go with the flow. She was not going to resist or try to analyze or plan, she was just going to go with it, and see what happened.

She stood from the table and left the room. Not long down the hall, she encounters Kotake and Koume.

"We see you have returned safely, little girl," Kotake said with a laugh.

Cora smiled. "Yes, fortunately I have."  
>" Fortunate? That is yet to be seen," Koume added.<br>Cora looked at them strangely. What did that mean?

They passed her in the hall and left her be. She walked on, wondering where Ganondorf was.

She went outside and decided to walk down the hill, where many of the families lived. Two small children with wooden swords were sparring in the street. When they saw Cora, they yelled with delight and began to circle her, continuing their fight.

"Oh what brave warriors, who will save me?" Cora said dramatically.  
>One of the little girls pretends to stab the other in the chest, and she played along, dramatically spinning in a circle before falling to the ground.<p>

Cora scooped up the one little girl. "The victor! The people all cheered and spread her name throughout the village! They wrote stories about her victory and chanted her names in songs!" Cora whispered in her ear, "What is your name?"  
>The little girl giggled and replied, "Jocey."<br>" Jocey!" Cora exclaimed. "Jocey, Jocey, Jocey," she chanted.

The little girl on the ground stood. "What about me? Will they sing about me?"  
>Cora scooped up the second little girl on her free hip. "What is a victor without a brave and ferocious foe?"<br>The little girl giggled. "My name is Laken!"  
>"And the valiant Laken, who fought honorably, shall go down as the powerful foe of Jocey!" Cora chanted.<br>The little girls laughed. A Gerudo woman approached Cora.

"You do well with the little ones. I hope they are not troublesome," the Gerudo spoke.  
>Cora shook her head. "No trouble at all." She passed the children off to the women.<p>

Cora smiled and waved farewell. She continued down the street. She watched the Gerudo people. Some were carrying pails of water back to their homes. They were playing with their children, caring for them. They were conversing with each other, and waving at Cora as she passed. A band of thieves they may be, but they were peaceful people. They just had to fight harder to survive in this world. Cora couldn't understand why they had such a terrible reputation across Hyrule; she would have to remember to ask Serene about it.

At the end of the road was a fence, and Cora peered over it, down into a massive gorge. The whole place was on the top of a cliff. Cora turned back to look at the town. At the top of the hill back by the main buildings where the eating hall was, she saw a dark figure facing her direction. She could not make out the face, but she was sure it was Ganondorf. She waved at him, but he did not wave back. He turned and walked into the building.

Cora found this odd. Was something the matter? She saw several mounted Gerudo upon the horizon; what was going on? She began running up the hill.

Out of breath, Cora reached the top. Gerudo were upon their horses, in perfect rows. There was an array of black, white, painted, and brown horses. She looked up to the women, all of their faces covered in veils. They were carrying spears and swords, ready for battle. She looked for Ganondorf and easily spotted him. His black armor shone in the sun. He looked down at Cora, an amused smile on his face.

"You don't know how to stay away from battle, do you?" He questioned.  
>Cora placed her hands on her hips. "Only when I'm not invited. Where exactly are you going?"<br>Ganondorf smiled. "We are attacking the mining facility that held you captive. King Bachy, I believe?"  
>Cora's eyes lit up. She had almost forgotten. How could she have forgotten about Gable?<p>

"I want to come with you," Cora stated.  
>"Are you sure you wish to return to that place?" Erebus shifted underneath him, impatient to leave.<br>"If it means rescuing the others, yes." She replied.

Ganondorf grabbed the reins of the horse next to him and turned so that Cora could see the empty saddle. "I thought you'd say something like that."

Cora climbed upon her steed and set out with the rest of the Gerudo.

They arrived at nightfall. Cora looked upon the building, hatred in her heart. She hated to admit it, but it was actually a gorgeous building. The main part was large and round. Four pillars surrounded it, all made of a smooth yellow stone. Green vines grew up the pillar and across the rounded center. Cora could just make out the center, the part she busted through. There were crude boards placed over the opening.

Gerudo were skillfully climbing the sides of the building. Cora could not make out how they were able to support their weight, or how they did not simply slide down the surface. They must have some device they used.

Ganondorf stood in front of the doors, upon Erebus. Cora found it odd that there were not guards outside to warn those inside. With a simple nod of his head, the siege began. Gerudo busted through the doors and swarmed in each direction. Ganondorf calmly walked Erebus inside. Cora was close behind him.

"Which way to the King?" he asked calmly.  
>Cora nodded towards the right. They picked their way through the crowd of Bokoblin and Gerudo that was beginning to fill the halls. As they entered the throne room Erebus pawed at the ground and through his head back.<p>

King Bachy was standing before his throne. He wore a breastplate and chain mail. A sword hung in his right hand. Cora moved to the right of Ganondorf, making sure Bachy saw her face.

"Ah, the little girl who ran away. This time you will not escape me so easily. You'll find, I won't be so easy to defeat," he laughed callously. His eyes began to glow bright red. He rolled his head back and growled. His arms and legs began to crack and twist. His muscles began to bulge and he grew in height. Spikes shot from the floor, blocking all the exits.

He took a step towards then. Cora's horse shifted uneasily. There was a dark feeling coming from the Bokoblin king, and her horse could sense it to. Unlike hers, Erebus stepped forward, his eyes shining bright and red.

Ganondorf drew his sword, a black aura surrounding it. Cora's gauntlets unfolded and prepared themselves for battle. King Bachy charged towards Ganondorf. Erebus dashed out of the way, allowing Ganondorf to swing his great sword at Bachy. The sword slashed through the Bokoblin's skin. The Bokoblin screamed, but it did not last long. It quickly turned into a laugh. Cora watched in horror as his wound began to shut.

"Your dark magic can do no harm to me Lord Ganondorf. It's no match for _my_ master's dark magic," Bachy let out a deep laugh.  
>Ganondorf gritted his teeth. "You haven't seen the full extent of my power yet."<p>

Cora stood back as they spun around the room. Ganondorf landed blow after blow. His sword made direct contact with its dark aura, and yet, the Bokoblin seemed unfazed.

Cora watched in frustration. She was starting to become worried, the Bokoblin seemed to speak the truth. Bachy's sword sliced across Ganondorf's arm, causing him to growl in frustration. Unlike the Bokoblin, his wound did not heal.

Dark magic could not fight dark magic. Cora's head swam, trying to come up with a solution. For some reason, her thoughts wondered to their ride the other day and idea hit her.

Without hesitation, she rushed her horse forward. She ran up behind Ganondorf as he blocked a hit from the king. His eyes shifted towards her; she could hear his thoughts scolding her without saying a word. She reached out, laid her hand on shoulder, and closed her eyes. Fire shot from her hand and down Ganondorf's arm. Her flames erupted at the base of his sword. They swirled with his dark aura, each fighting to take hold of the sword's surface. They spun in an angry tornado of red and purple before the red finally won out. His sword erupted in a bright beacon of fire. He swung his newly powered sword at the Bokoblin. It cut through his skin as easily as a knife through butter.

The Bokoblin screamed in surprise and agony. He stumbled back from the attack and Ganondorf took the advantage and sliced his sword across King Bachy's throat. The Bokoblin's head rolled off his shoulders and fell to the ground.

Cora watched in horror as instead of red blood, a black substance spilled from the creature's neck.

Cora released Ganondorf's shoulder, the fire on his sword receding. He turned to look at her.  
>He studied her face for a moment without saying anything. Cora sat awkwardly on her horse, unsure of what to do.<br>"I am beginning to see why Din has sent you to me," he offered.

Cora about fell off her horse. "That's all you have to say? No, good job Cora, or quick thinking?"  
>Ganondorf shook his head. "There is no such flattery in battle."<p>

The spikes lowered in front of the doors, somehow knowing the battle had ended. Cora's horse stamped the ground impatiently before she turned her back to him and walked through the doorway. Somehow, she always knew just what to say to make herself feel small and foolish.

As Cora made her way to the center of the building, she saw slain Bokoblin laying everywhere. She saw a few wounded Gerudo, but it looks as though they had been lucky. The Gerudo looked up to her as she walked into the center of them. They had rounded up all the prisoners; there were about 40 in all. Amongst them, she saw Gable. The people's faces lit up as they saw Cora, remembering her from her time there.

"You need not worry anymore. Lord Ganondorf and the Gerudo have freed you from your enslavement," Cora announced.

People's faces looked to each other in confusion. She could hear Ganondorf's name whispered amongst them.

"Things are not as they seem in Hyrule. The scale of good and evil has tipped in the wrong direction. I fear that the King of Hyrule's mind has been poisoned by the thoughts of another. There is still hope for Hyrule, we still fight for her. Spread the word of how you were taken from your homes, and how you were set free," Cora looked amongst the people in front of her. They were covered in dirt and bruises. Their nails were black from the caked dirt underneath. Many of them held smiles as they looked upon Cora.

Without first consulting Ganondorf, she added," My Gerudo will ensure you safe passage to your homes. Group together by your territory and let this nightmare end today."  
>The group began to cheer. Several walked up to Cora and laid their hands on her legs, on her horse, saying their thanks. Cora smiled and shook their hands.<p>

She turned her horse behind her and saw Ganondorf standing in the doorway. He held a sly smile on his face as he watched her.  
>Cora dismounted her horse and walked up to Gable. "Hello again, friend," she greeted.<p>

Gable smiled at her. "I am very grateful for what you have done. How could I ever repay you?"  
>Cora smiled. "Well, there's actually one thing. We are going to be journeying into the mountains very soon. Is there anything I need to know, or anything I can do to ensure safe passage?"<br>Gable thought for a moment. "Do you have any paper?"

Cora left Gables side for a moment and asked amongst the Gerudo. She acquired what she needed and returned to him. Gable took the paper and ink from Cora and began to write. Once he was finished, he dipped his whole hand in the ink and pressed it to the paper. He returned it to Cora, a childish grin on his face.  
>"This should help!" he exclaimed.<p>

Cora examined the paper. It was in a writing she could not understand. "Is this Goron?" she questioned.  
>Gable nodded. "Yes. If you encounter any trouble with my kind, show this to them, and they should not harm you. In fact, they should be very willing to help you."<p>

Cora eyed gable suspiciously. "What exactly does this say?"  
>Gable laughed. "Find your way to me in the mountains, and I shall tell you."<br>Cora smiled. "Very well."

She left Gables side and watched as small groups of people formed. Gerudo paired with the groups, two, or three at a time. They gave Ganondorf a nod before they headed out the door, flanking either side of the parties they were escorting.

Cora was left in the central room with Ganondorf and several Gerudo. She steered her horse back towards the main entrance. It flicked its ears and neighed nervously; the bodies made it skittish.

As she left the building, her horse felt more at ease. The Gerudo were close behind her, as was Ganondorf. He spurred Erebus forward, coming even with her.  
>"Since when do you take charge of my people?" Ganondorf questioned.<br>Cora blushed, taken back. "I'm sorry, I didn't think."

Ganondorf smirked. "And they are still _my, _people, correct?"  
>Cora thought back on what she had said and blushed more furiously. She had said <em>my<em> Gerudo, meaning that they were _her_ people. She closed her eyes in embarrassment.  
>Ganondorf reached out and stroked her hair. "Worry not dear Cora. I liked the way it sounded coming from your mouth."<p>

If it was possible, Cora's cheeks became a deeper shade of scarlet. She turned away from Ganondorf and began walking her horse. She heard Ganondorf chuckle behind her.

They traveled throughout the evening without a break. They arrived back to the Gerudo Village early in the morning. The Gerudo dismounted and went their separate ways, putting the horses in stables to rest. The last length of the travel Cora's horse fought her. It tossed its head and tried to rear on several occasions. She was sure the poor animal was tired, but home was just over the horizon. As they arrived Cora's horse had had the last of it and finally fully reared. It kicked its legs, loosing balance. It fell over onto its back. Cora managed to push out of the saddle at the last second. She landed on her side, but at least she was not underneath the horse.

She stood and dusted herself off. She grabbed the horse's bridal and helped assist it to its feet. She stroked the animal's nose.  
>"Rest easy now. The long journey is over," she crooned to the animal. Another Gerudo grabbed the horse's reins and walked it to the stables.<p>

Cora was exhausted from her ride. Without much thought, she stumbled through the building, Ganondorf behind her. A few time his hand steadied her as she veered to one side or the other in her sleepy state. Before she realized where they were headed, they were in Ganondorf's room.

She walked to the side of the bed and plopped down. Ganondorf walked to an armoire on the far side of the room. He began taking off his armor and placed it neatly inside.  
>He took off his tunic top, leaving him solely in his pants. He drew heavy curtains across the windows, blotting out most of the sunlight. He walked to the opposite side of the bed and laid down.<p>

Cora shifted so that her head was on the pillows.

"How did you acquire Erebus?' Cora questioned.  
>"He was a gift," Ganondorf answered.<br>"From who?"  
>"Koume and Kotake," he replied.<br>Cora furrowed her brow. "And where did they get him?"  
>Ganondorf laughed. "Why so many questions about my horse?"<p>

"He is strong and dependable. He's not afraid of a fight," she said thoughtfully.  
>"Unlike the horse you had today?" Ganondorf questioned.<br>Cora smiled. "Something like that."  
>"Erebus was born from dark magic. He always existed within the folds of time; I just had to draw him out. He recognizes power. Koume and Kotake opened a rip in the time fabric the day I was old enough to take this throne. I stood before it and called to him. He came to me," Ganondorf explained.<p>

Cora listened in wonder. The magical beast came from a different world, just as she had.  
>"You wish for a horse like Erebus?" Ganondorf questioned.<br>Cora shook her head. "I don't need to open up a rip in space or anything. Perhaps just making sure I'm always on one who isn't so skittish."  
>Ganondorf laughed. "I believe that is something I can handle."<br>" Good," Cora replied.  
>She turned her head away from Ganondorf and closed her eyes.<p>

"You were very commanding today," Ganondorf spoke.  
>Eyes still closed, Cora replied," I suppose."<br>Moments later, she drifted into sleep.

...

Cora awoke feeling the cool night breeze on her cheek. She shivered and reached for the covers, resulting in her finding that Ganondorf was no longer in the bed. She opened her eyes and looked over. She was alone.

She briefly looked around the room and saw he was nowhere to be seen, with the door cracked. She debated for a moment on whether or not to get up. Part of her was very curious as to where he went at this hour, and she felt compelled to find out.

She silently rose from the bed and slipped through the cracked door without disturbing it. Once in the hall she paused and listened. She could hear a deep voice, obviously male and Ganondorfs, shouting from somewhere far off. She crept down the hall, not passing a single person. At an intersection, she paused once more. She could hear the murmur that comes from voices far off, slightly to her left.

She chose the left fork, a path she had never taken. She walked light on her feet, the soft padding of her skin barely making an audible noise on the floor. She was in a long hallway with no further branch offs. At the end was a large double door that was cracked; this was Cora's lucky night. She froze as she heard Ganondorf's voice.

"Give me one good reason," he demanded.  
>"You know very well why!" a shrill voice replied. Cora recognized it as the voice of Kotake.<br>In a much smoother tone, Koume added, "Dear Lord Ganondorf, you know we live to answer your every call, your every whim, just this once, may we have our way?"

As they talked, Cora crouched on all fours and walked closer to the doors. There was a feint blue light shining through the crack. Cora slowly peeked through it at the scene inside.

Ganondorf's back was to her. He was running his hand through his long hair. There was a large cauldron in the center of the room; this was the cause of the blue light. There was a feint fog rolling from the top of it.  
>Koume and Kotake were slowly circling the cauldron as they spoke.<p>

"I may as well be the first to say it. I think you have gone soft, my dear Lord Ganondorf. This girl, she has weakened you! She says the Goddess Din sent her to make you stronger, but what if it is really a ruse of our enemies. What if she was sent to make you weak?" Kotake shouted.

Ganondorf reached out and grabbed the old women by the scruff of her gowns. "Even if that was the case, though I do not believe it, you will still do as I say, do you hear me?" he released the women with a shove, sending her spinning on her broom.  
>"Sister!" Koume shouted, rushing to her sister's aide. She steadied her and gave Ganondorf a scowl. "You forget we are 400 years old Lord Ganondorf, be more gentle!"<p>

Ganondorf turned so that Cora could see his profile. The blue light casted a ghostly shadow on him. "Forgive me. My temper got the better of me." He turned to face the witches once more, his voice threatening. "We are in agreement, yes?"

Cora slid away from the door and began making her way down the hall. She had to leave before someone else decided to. She had just rounded the corner when she heard the double doors open. She picked up the pace, lightly running down the hall. Her heart hammered in her throat. She reached the fork and veered right. She took another turn, the bedroom door in sight. She slipped through once more, careful not to disturb it. She jumped onto the bed, posing in what she thought was a believable position, urging her heart to slow down. Seconds later she heard the door open slightly, followed by a click as it shut.

She kept her eyes slammed shut and focused on her breathing, trying to make it sound slow. She felt the bed shift as he joined her in bed. She felt his hand on her arm briefly before he pulled away. She soon realized why when she felt the covers being pulled onto her. She felt it would be acceptable to move at this point, so she rolled towards him. He wrapped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her close. She quickly warmed from the proximity of his body. Cora found herself smiling.

...

Cora awoke before the sun had fully risen. It's warm rays of light were barely reaching across the dessert's gray sky.

Once again, Cora was second to wake. She rose from her slumber, and as customary, there was a folded pair of clothes not far from the bed. Accompanying it was her golden armband she had come accustomed to wearing.

She changed and spent some time in front of a mirror pulling her hair up. She braided her bangs back and kept her hair in a ponytail.

She examined herself in the blue outfit and smiled. It looked nice against her tan skin.  
>She walked to the balcony and looked out over the dessert landscape. She could see a few early birds moving around, nothing more than shadows.<p>

Cora left the room and the building, walking along the sandy path. She veered towards the arena, a place she had not been in a long time.

She walked into the arena and made her way towards the archery targets. There was a rack of bows, and a couple quivers. She picked up one of the bows and looped the quiver's strap over her arm.

After her encounter with Faroe, she was lead to believe she would have better weapon finesse. Cora raised the bow with a pause; she had never been very good at this. Especially after a long break.

She pulled the bow's string and released her arrow, hitting the target dead center. She shot another and a third. Walking as she did so, lining herself up with another target. She smiled, almost giddy. She could not wait until she could show Serene. As though she had suddenly awakened a muscle deep within her arms, she went numb to thinking out her actions and simply moved.

She rolled across the ground, popping up for a single arrow before spinning and volleying three more. She began to rapid fire them, testing her precision. She dropped her quiver, grabbing another. With an arrow notched, she sensed someone standing behind her. She turned to the person, her bow still raised. Seeing that it was Ganondorf, she lowered her weapon. Her heart was pounding her in her throat.

He ceremoniously clapped, a smirk spreading across his lips. "Very good, Cora."  
>Cora gave a small bow. "Thanks." She returned the weapon and quiver to the rack. The sun's light was reaching farther across the sky, casting everything in a shadow. Cora could just feel the heat creeping into the land.<p>

There were questions she wanted to ask him from last night, but she would give away that she had been spying.

"The riders you sent with the people from the mines returned just now. It was a successful trip with no-" Ganondorf was cut off as Cora ran away from the conversation. "Cora? Where are you going?"

Cora was running up the hill, towards the returned riders. Cora ran into the midst of them.

"How was your journey?" Cora asked the group.  
>"Very well," one of the Gerudo replied. "We were swift and undetected. The villages were defensive at first, but the people we escorted gave us safe passage."<p>

" I'm glad," Cora replied. She thanked each of the riders, asking if there was anything they needed. Though she did not have the power to give them anything they needed, she knew the man who did, and she could have power over him.

Cora returned to the arena to find Ganondorf standing in the center, arms crossed.  
>"Whatever happened to the sword that I had picked out?"<p>

Ganondorf turned to face her. "That is a good question. I sent it to be sharpened. With everything that has happened, I had forgotten about it. I will see if I cannot track it down later today."

Cora stood there waiting to see if he was going to say something else. She could see him shift his weight from foot to foot, as though he was nervous. The awkward feeling it was giving her was more than she could handle so she walked around Ganondorf, leaving the arena.

"I'm going to grab something to eat," she called over her shoulder. She waited to see if he was going to follow, but he stayed put. Cora shrugged, brushing it off.

The riders who had returned were in the eating hall. The Gerudo openly spoke with her, completely at ease with her presence. Cora was glad; she had come a long way within this group of people.

As she was leaving, she ran into Serene.

"Good morning," Serene offered.  
>Cora smiled. "Good morning Serene. I cannot wait to get back to training with you."<br>"Good. Follow me," Serene said with a smile.

Cora practically skipped behind her.

Once back in the arena, Serene set her through her paces. Cora aimed with deadly precision without much thought. It came naturally, almost as though it was muscle memory. Serene smiled, pleased.

"I know not how you have improved, but I am happy," Serene said.

They spent several more minutes in target practice. Serene revealed a set of targets that she had on tracks, which would move back and forth, making it more challenging. Cora missed her first shot, but that was the only one; the others found their mark.

Their session ended only because Ganondorf approached a sword in his hand.

"She has greatly improved, my lord," Serene bowed before him. She explained what she had done with Cora that day.

Ganondorf nodded. "Good. We can move on to swordplay. I've found yours, Cora."

Cora followed him off to the side.  
>"Here," he handed the sword to Cora.<p>

As Cora grabbed it, she had a sudden rush of dizziness. She brushed it off, thinking it was nothing. She turned the sword in her hand, the blade's edge smooth and sharp.

They began to duel. Ganondorf was swift on his feet, but Cora's defense had improved. Though she was slower, she was able to block most of his attacks. She even landed a few blows against him. As she worked, she increasingly felt dizzier. She began to feel slightly nauseas. She chucked this up to the fact she had lost her resilience against the dessert sun while she had been underground, and nothing more.

At one point, she stumbled, allowing Ganondorf to have an opening. He stepped back.

"Cora that was a foolish mistake. I could have taken your life with that blow," he explained.

Cora bent over, her hands on her knees. She was breathing very heavy; sweat ran down her back and down the sides of her face. "I'm sorry," she said breathless. "I think the sun is making me dizzy."

Ganondorf sheathed his sword. "Then we shall take a small break."  
>He produced a flask and handed it to Cora. "Drink, it is water."<p>

Cora twisted off the lid and took a mouthful. As soon as it was swallowed, her stomach clenched and became tight. Cora groaned and grabbed at it. The ground began to swim, her knees were shaking. She fell, dropping the flask.

"Cora! What's wrong?" Ganondorf ran to her side. He lifted her head off the ground and pushed her hair back. "Are you ill?"

Ganondorf's words echoed in the back of her mind. He sounded as though he was miles away, though his face was a blurry image before her eyes. She fought to keep them open, but it was so hard. She could see his mouth moving, but her hears were ringing, blocking out all sound. She watched as he shouted over his shoulder, probably calling for help. Cora's body felt numb and heavy and she could no longer keep her eyes open.

...

Cora's body was still so very heavy. She could not move a single muscle, though she wished she could. It felt as though lying on her back was the most uncomfortable position in the world. She was hot and sweaty, every drop of sweat felt like ice against her hot skin. Everything that brushed against her skin made her ache; her hair, the sheets, the wet rags she could feel against her forehead. Anything that touched her skin hurt. Cora was weak and tired and she dearly wanted to sleep. Her eyes were closed, but her mind was wide-awake.

She felt hands on her, moving her. Cora wanted to scream in agony. Her mouth was being pried open and liquid poured in. Do they not know that it feels like her mouth is covered in blisters? Do they not know that the liquid they pour feels like salt rubbed into the wounds? Cora lay helplessly still, finally drifting into a slumber.

She awoke in gut-wrenching agony. Someone was squeezing her hand; what once would have felt like a warm gesture were now knives into her flesh. She felt a single tear escape her eye, sending her into a pain-driven sleep.

_The image was wavering. Cora thought she made out trees. Cora fought to hold the image at the front of her mind, demanding to see it._

_With a blinding light, the image snapped into focus. She was standing in the clearing before Din. Din's arms were stretched out, her hair billowing about her. The wind began to swirl around them; the light surrounding Din began to glow more brightly._

_"Quickly child, we don't have much time. I cannot hold the poison off for long. Like a blade that has been damaged in battle, you must be purified in the flames of the forge, hammered back into shape. Go to the mountains, purify yourself in my flames. Your dreams will lead the way child, hold on to hope," Din warmly looked upon Cora as a mother would a child. She lowered her arms and the image blurred and disappeared._

She felt a hand clasped around her own. Someone was sitting at her bedside. She wanted to call out to them, but her tongue was heavy and dry. She felt them lean towards her, as if to ensure she and only she were to hear them.

"Hold on Cora. Don't give up," Ganondorf spoke low, murmuring into her ear.

_Ganondorf_, she wanted to scream. She needed to grab his attention; she needed to tell him what Din had told her, but how? Din's words echoed through her dulled mind.

_Hold on Cora... Hold on to hope… Dreams…_

Though she could not, she imagined herself latching onto Ganondorf's hand and pulling him down. Pulling him down into her bed, into her sleep, her dreams, to the very core of her mind.

_This time her mind could focus more easily. She was standing in the middle of a dessert. She could feel the sand and wind bite into her skin. She turned and saw Ganondorf._

_"Cora, are you alright?' Ganondorf rushed to her side._

_Cora stood starring at him, unable to talk. She held her finger up to her lips. She pointed to her eye and the pointed to the horizon._

_Ganondorf followed her finger. "I don't understand Cora, what is it?"_

_The scene changed and they were standing on top of the image Cora could produce for Death Mountain. She tried to make it look realistic, and not of the images she saw in the games. She shifted it to inside the mountain. Again, her mind strained to produce the image she had not really seen with her own eyes._

_Ganondorf looked around." Inside Death Mountain?"_

_Cora nodded. She walked to the edge where the ground ended and the river of lava began. She looked to Ganondorf. She placed a hand on her chest and the pointed to the lava._

_Ganondorf shook his head. "What does that mean Cora? The lava?"_

_Cora faced Ganondorf, her back to the lava. She let herself go and fell back into the lava. Ganondorf watched in horror as the lava surrounded Cora's body, burying her._

_The scene snapped back to the dessert. Cora stared into Ganondorf's eyes, willing him to understand what she needed him to do._

_"You want to go to Death Mountain?" Ganondorf questioned._  
><em>Cora nodded her head.<em>  
><em>"You want to lie in the lava?" He asked again, unsure.<em>  
><em>Cora nodded.<em>  
><em>"Cora, that's madness. There's no need for that, we can cure you," he stated.<em>  
><em>Cora moved closer to Ganondorf, just out of his touch. She wanted to convey everything she felt with her eyes. Her pain, her desires. She needed to purify.<em>

_Ganondorf looked at her sadly. "I don't know what has happened, but I will take you to Death Mountain."_

_The scene flashed. Cora furrowed her brow, struggling to keep the image. She reached out for Ganondorf before the scene disappeared, leaving her in darkness._

**Ganondorf**

At first, Ganondorf thought Cora had fallen ill. As her conditioned worsened, he realized it was something much more than illness; she had been poisoned. He did not understand how or who was behind it, but he was determined to find out.

He was standing in his mothers' potions room. "Tell me there is something you can do."  
>Koume and Kotake hovered in front of him upon their brooms. "If you recall the request you made of us the other night, and how we tried to deter you-"<br>"Enough!" Ganondorf shouted. "I know what I said and what I had you do."  
>" Then you know our energy is depleted. It will take a day or two more for us to be back to full power," Kotake stated.<br>Ganondorf crossed his arms across his chest. He was unable to help Cora because of a decision he had made.  
>"Then I shall leave tonight," Ganondorf stated. He turned on his heel, heading for the door.<br>"Leave for where, my lord?" Koume called out to him.  
>"Death Mountain," Ganondorf replied.<p>

He hurriedly strolled through the halls, his armor making soft clinks. He would do as Cora asked; he only hoped that she was aware of what she was doing. Ganondorf clenched his hand in a fist. He had to have faith the Goddess Din was behind her request.

Preparations had been made for his sudden departure. Erebus had been saddled and readied. Ganondorf walked into his room where Cora laid. He picked up the letter the Goron had written for her and tucked it in his pocket. Cora was wrapped in a blanket, awaiting departure. Ganondorf scooped her into his arms and made his way outside.

Erebus had been fashioned with a special sling. It was attached at his breast strap and at the back end of the saddle. A special strap had been added, going across his rump to help support the extra weight and to keep the saddle straight. The sling ran the length of the massive beast.  
>"Steady now Erebus," Ganondorf cautioned.<p>

Ganondorf lowered Cora's wrapped body into the sling. She was slightly curled against the horse's body. Ganondorf went to the opposite side of Erebus and mounted him. He carefully slipped his leg between Cora and Erebus, just above her hips. He stroked the side of Erebus's neck.  
>"She is fragile old friend. We need to be careful on this ride. It's going to be a long one, and we're going to be tired. I have faith that you will deliver us," Ganondorf crooned to the horse.<p>

Erebus swiveled his ears backwards, as though he was listening carefully. He pawed the ground, flared his nostrils, and shook his mane in response. Ganondorf grabbed the reins and sat back in his saddle. He could feel Cora's life, like an aura around her body. It had always felt strong, bright, like a raging fire. Now it felt like a candle's flame battered by the wind, barely holding on. Ganondorf could feel the dark energy that flowed through his veins. The darkness that he had been born into this world with. His grip tensed on the reins, his energy flowing into Erebus. The horse through back its head and bellowed. He pawed the ground, his eyes glowed a brighter red.

The horse began to run, his hooves pushing off the ground, until they never made contact. He bounded effortlessly across the night sky, a black mass of power.  
>Ganondorf looked down to Cora's bundled figure.<p>

Ganondorf landed Erebus just outside the entrance to the mountains, in a town called Kakariko. He was growing weary and he was certain Erebus was too. The magic sapped his strength, but it was the quickest way to reach the mountains.

Erebus trotted at a comfortable pace up the mountain path. Ganondorf drew his sword and easily sliced through telektites that tried to jump at his feet. He passed the entrance he had once visited long ago to acquire Cora's gauntlets. He kept his sword drawn and a wary eye open. Erebus turned a sharp corner and halted. At the top of the incline were two Goron's. They stood with their arms crossed.

"Why is a Gerudo so far from its desert?" one of them called out.  
>Ganondorf did not have time for this idle talk. He felt Erebus shift uncomfortably beneath him; for once, the war animal was tired and leery of an encounter.<br>"I need to reach the peak of the mountain," Ganondorf replied.  
>"I know who you are, and we want nothing to do with you up here," the second Goron called out.<p>

Ganondorf sheathed his sword and reached into his pocket, pulling out the note. He held it up in the air for the Goron's to see.  
>"I was told this would grant me safe passage," he stated.<p>

One of the Gorons sat on the ground, rolled its self up, and raced down the path towards Ganondorf. He popped up just in front of the black horse, standing just as tall. He reached for the note in Ganondorf's hand.  
>He examined it and looked up at Ganondorf skeptically. "How did you get this?"<br>" Will we have safe passage or not?" Ganondorf demanded.  
>The Goron handed him back the note. "You may pass. I'll alert the others ahead."<br>" Thank you," Ganondorf replied.

The Goron tolled back up the hill to his comrade. The second Goron gave Ganondorf the same skeptic look before rolling further up the path. Ganondorf urged Erebus up the hill. Erebus picked his way along the rocky path, careful of the edge, but not for long. The path ended, revealing an uneven rocky wall. Ganondorf dismounted Erebus. He patted his beast on the side. "I'll take it from here. Rest."

He scooped Cora from the sling and draped her over his shoulder. He ran towards the wall and jumped high in the air, landing on flat edge. He took a small running start and grabbed onto a ledge with his free hand, his other holding Cora firmly to his body. With effort, he swung himself up, and saw the end in sight. In front of him was the final climb to the entrance of the mountain peak. The surface was covered in vines. It was no surprise to Ganondorf; life seemed to flourish in the most desolate of places.  
>Ganondorf reached high on the vines and hoisted himself up. He anchored his feet in the vines and reached high once more. He repeated this process, slowly, making sure Cora's weight did not shift. He was so close to their goal, he would not let anything stand in his way.<p>

Once he reached the top, he was slightly out of breath. His body was tired from both magical and physical exertion. To his left he could see the entrance to the Great Fairy that lived upon the mountain. If this was successful, they would also be visiting her. For now, his attention turned to the large opening in the mountain. He could feel the heat radiating from it, but it did not bother him.

He walked through the entrance, hoping all would be well soon. The heat dried his eyes and made it difficult to breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his aura building around him, surrounding and protecting his body, pushing the heat back. He opened his eyes and examined his surroundings. He walked forward. To his left was a broken bridge, to the left his path was blocked by boulders. He went to his left.

He got a running start and leaped across the gap, landing hard on his feet. He stood from his crouched position and walked across a second bridge. There was a circular patch of ground; in the center was a stone in lay that held Hyrule's Crest. Ganondorf scoffed.

He walked to the edge of the ground and knelt down. He pulled Cora off his shoulder and examined her limp body. He looked warily to the lava. No ordinary person could possibly survive lava, how was she so sure? He closed his eyes, and sent a small prayer to the Goddess Din. A small prayer that also threatened her life if she did not protect Cora from the flames.

He lowered her body into the lava, careful not to touch it himself. She did not stir, did not cry out in pain. She slowly sunk to the bottom, the lava completely covering her. Ganondorf stood anxiously. How long would he need to wait?

"Funny to find you here, Ganondorf."

Ganondorf spun on his heel, drawing his sword. Before him stood and black cloaked figure. His features were pale and ghostly. His face was long and narrow, his cheeks sunken in as though he had not eaten in months. His eyes were black.  
>"To whom do I owe the pleasure?' Ganondorf demanded.<p>

"Come now Ganondorf, my feelings are hurt. Surely, you have heard my name. I am the great Apep, the King's advisor," the man said with a sneer.

Ganondorf's lip curled. "That's right, the King's lap dog. He has you on a rather long leash."  
>"Me, in his lap?" Apep spat. "Ganondorf, you have it all wrong." Apep raised his hand and slowly closed it, his fingers curling inwards. "He is like sand in my hands. I control when they flow freely and when they are compacted shut."<br>"And what does this have to do with me?" Ganondorf questioned, his grip tightening on his sword.  
>"Playing coy really doesn't work on you, Ganondorf. We both know the Goddess has sent you a weapon that is supposed to destroy me." Apep waived his hand in the air as though he was tired of hearing what he was saying.<br>"I just could not wait for you to come to me anymore Ganondorf. I thought it was about time we met. There are perks to having guards everywhere; they keep the people in their place and they inform me of any strange travelers." Apep smiled at Ganondorf.  
>"Please, don't keep me waiting anymore Ganondorf. Let's see this weapon." Apep held his hand into the air, and a sword began to materialize. It was black and slightly curved. He gave it a practice wave through the air. "Let's play."<p>

Ganondorf moved so he was opposite of Apep. He kept where he had placed Cora in the corner of his eye. Clearly, he was unaware of just what the weapon was; the less he knew the better. Apep lunged towards Ganondorf. Ganondorf easily stepped aside and brought his sword up, blocking his attack. He pushed his sword away and brought his own back across. Apep jumped back and to the side. He restarted his lunge, swinging for Ganondorf's legs. Ganondorf jumped in the air and willed his magic to hover him in the air. A black ball formed on the end of Ganondorf's sword. He hurled it towards Apep who barely made it out of the way. Apep straightened himself, panting.

"I knew you'd be fun to fight. I hope you don't let me down," Apep spat. He materialized a black orb on the end of his own sword and hurled it at Ganondorf. Ganondorf countered the attack by swinging his blade at it, returning it to its owner. Apep slashed through the orb, dissolving it. "I know all the same tricks you do Ganondorf, you'll have to try something new."

Ganondorf gritted his teeth and lowered himself to the ground. This was going to be more difficult than planned. Without drawing attention, his eyes strained to see where Cora had been lowered into the lava; there was still no sign of her.

It was Ganondorf's turn to charge Apep. His swings were blocked, but he was successfully pushing Apep farther back on their patch of ground. He swung madly with his sword, knowing it would not land, but it took all Apep had to stop it. Apep's heels hung off the edge. He looked down and then up at Ganondorf.  
>"Clever, but not clever enough."<p>

Apep ran forward, ramming his shoulder into Ganondorf and throwing him back. He took the opportunity to run his blade across Ganondorf's chest. Ganondorf stiffened and surprised a groan. His skin was quickly closing the wound, but the pain still radiated. Ganondorf glared at Apep, but did not say a word.

Cora felt lightweight. She could feel the warmth of the liquid around her, feel it between her fingers and toes, and flowing across her arms. It felt thin and light like water, but she knew better.  
>She opened her eyes. The first time they had been open in days. She took in a deep breath, feeling the warmth and heat fill her lungs, felt it fill her chest, pressing against her ribs. She exhaled and felt the poison seeping away. She could see through the lava as though it was red tinted water. She saw a figure close to the edge, heard him speak an unfamiliar voice. She could hear the clash of metal; Ganondorf must be fighting someone. Her gauntlets took form on her wrist, and she felt the red jewels in her palm glow. They began to suck in the lava.<br>Her body began to heat as the liquid coursed through her, purging her system. It felt like a breath of fresh air. She could feel the lava as though it was an extension of her body. She felt it pulse around the rocks. She could feel every vibration and movement on the platform. She was sure of it now; Ganondorf was in a fight.

"Come on Ganondorf, show me this weapon the Goddess has sent you!" she heard the voice scream.

She smiled to herself as she moved her limbs, testing them. She concentrated on Ganondorf. She could feel his weight shift; feel him bring down his blade. She raised the lava, causing the platform to lift from the ground. She could hear the confused cries as the platform now balanced on the lava. One tilt the wrong way would be the end.  
>Cora could feel it in her hand like a bowl, and she knew which one was Ganondorf. She tilted it to assist him, giving him more advantage, or raising it up for him to land on.<p>

"Finally, something new. However, I tire of this game. It's time to say goodbye," the man spoke.

Cora focused on Ganondorf's blade. With a flick of her wrist, lava shot from the pool and surrounded his blade as it slashed at his opponent. She could hear the man cry out in pain.  
>"How did you do that?" the man demanded.<br>"You've been waiting for my weapon, are you ready to see it?" Ganondorf teased.

Cora began shooting geysers of lava around the platform, hoping to distract the man. She could feel Ganondorf's feet running across the platform. She could practically feel the outline of his body as he ran, his fist pulled back. She enshrouded his fist with flames and felt the force of his hit. She heard the painful groan of his opponent.

Cora began to rise from the lava. She kept a thick layer of the lava surrounding her body, obscuring her size and shape. She raised from the pool a massive, undefined, humanoid figure. Cora glared down at the man before her. It was Apep, the man who had held Whitney and her captive. She made a fist and slammed it into the ground, causing the platform to tilt back and forth. Apep crouched down to keep his balance.

Apep glared at Cora's figure. "This isn't over yet, Ganondorf." He back flipped into the air, landing high above the platform and disappeared through the entrance.

Ganondorf turned to Cora's massive form, sheathing his sword. Cora began to shrink to the ground, lava slowly peeling off her skin. She was left standing in the center of the Hyrule crest. She felt strong and rejuvenated. She was sad to see the fight was already over. Ganondorf walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her.  
>"Thank the Goddess's your okay," he said.<br>Cora hugged him back. This did not sound like the Ganondorf she knew.  
>"Of course I'm okay. Fire won't hurt me," she explained.<br>Ganondorf pulled away and studied her face. "Do you know who that man was?"  
>" Apep. I met him when they took Whitney and me hostage," she replied.<br>Ganondorf nodded. "Are you sure you feel fine? That poison was nasty stuff."  
>Cora smiled reassuringly. "Yes, perfectly. Do we know how I was poisoned? Or who poisoned me?"<br>Ganondorf furrowed his brow. "No. I don't want to think anyone from my tribe would have done this."  
>"I don't think so, either. There is still time to figure it out. Let's get out of here," she offered.<p>

They walked out of the mountain, greeted by cool air. Cora looked to her right. "Is that the Great Fairy?"  
>Ganondorf nodded. "Shall we say hello?"<p>

Cora walked through the opening in the rock. It was dark, but only briefly. She came into a small room that was lit by torches. Before her was a beautiful pool of water. She walked to a platform that had Hyrule's Crest on the ground. She looked to the pool expectantly; nothing happened. Cora's mind thought back to the game. Cora smiled and closed her eyes, recalling the song she had heard so many times. Cora began to hum Zelda's Lullaby. The tone was soft, but she was sure it would be heard.

She heard an eruption of laughter as a beautiful woman sprang from the pool in front of her. Her hair was pink; her body was covered in vines. She hovered before Cora.

"Welcome Cora, I am the Great Fairy of Wisdom. I am going to enhance your magic power. Receive it now!"

Cora's body became enshrouded with a green light. It pulsed as she felt it fill her veins. Her gauntlets began to glow as they took in the power.

"Your magic power has been enhanced. Now you have twice as much magic power. When battle has made you weary, please come back and see me." With another eruption of laughter, the Great Fairy spun, disappearing into the depths of the pool.

Cora turned to Ganondorf. She looked down at her palm; the ruby was pulsing. "One step closer."

They traveled down the mountain, retrieving Erebus. Cora looked up the path. "You said you saw the Gorons up there?"  
>" Yes. I believe Goron City is not far ahead." He replied.<br>"Well, let's go say hi to Gable," Cora said cheerfully.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Goron City was a magnificent place. The game series had really done it no justice. There was a large stone structure in the very heart of the city that resembled a Goron. It was chiseled from a single piece of stone, precise, and life-like details carved into every crevice. On top of his head was a crown. Surrounding the statue was a path that coiled around it. There were tunnels and walkways branching in different directions, but each met up at some point, and lead back to the large center area. There were torches along every path, and Gorons everywhere. They came in a variety of shapes and sizes, each of them having the characteristic earth-tone skin and rocky backsides. Each of them had the same triangular pattern tattooed into their skin on either arm. A few of them had facial hair, but the majority of them had smooth faces.

Ganondorf and Cora had been escorted inside with a fair share of guarded looks. Ganondorf was a figure they were well aware of and did not take kindly to him being in their home. The letter Cora possessed from Gable was the only thing that assured them from being chased down the mountainside. They had been taken to the very top of the winding path, spiraling around the stone Goron. At the top, it came to a landing that was decorated with an ornate rug. It was embellished with the same triangular symbol the Goron's had on their arms.

They walked through a doorway and Cora found herself before Gable. He was situated in a small red seat next to a giant Goron. The older Goron had massive, muscular arms and legs, with white tattoos covering his stomach, chest, and arms. Thick, bronze, bracelets were clasped around his wrists.

Gable jumped from his seat. "Cora! You came to visit me."  
>Cora walked towards Gable and exchanged a hug. "Of course I did. You failed to mention how beautiful this city was, or just exactly who you were, Gable."<br>Gable smiled and retook his seat. "I couldn't tell you at the time. I must thank you, again, for safely returning me here. If it hadn't been for your Gerudo, I don't think I would have made it." Gable turned to Ganondorf, who stood several feet behind Cora, and nodded. "You as well, Lord Ganondorf."

Ganondorf gave a slight nod of his head in recognition.  
>"You will be safe here. Please, stay as long as you need. We will provide you with a place to sleep and food to eat. Go and relax now," Gable stated.<p>

The Gorons guarding the entryway behind them parted, giving them free access. They were lead back down the spiraling path. Cora had a better look at the Goron statue, and saw that the center of the crown looked like it could be lit like a torch.

They were lead to a simple room that had a large area rug covering the stone floor, a large bed, a side table, and a small fireplace. The Gorons left them be.

Ganondorf began taking off his armor, stripping down to his simple tunic and pants. He set his things neatly on the side table. Cora sat on the edge of the bed; the past few days had felt very long.

"Do you still feel the effects of the poison?" Ganondorf questioned.  
>Cora's eyes widened. "Far from it. The pain was excruciating. Every touch sent my skin on fire; every drink of water felt like acid. I feel much better."<br>Ganondorf sat next to her on the bed. "I'm glad to hear that. I think I figured out how you were poisoned. It all began after you used your sword."  
>Cora nodded slowly, thinking back. "Yeah, you're right. It was making me feel so dizzy. I thought it had been caused by the heat, but clearly I was wrong."<p>

Cora thought back on the events from the past few days; her memory was a little foggy. "How did you know to put me in the lava?"  
>Ganondorf gave her a confused look. "Cora, you told me."<p>

It was Cora's turn to look confused. "I told you? How did I tell you, I wasn't conscious-"  
>Memories came flooding back to Cora in a rush; the dizziness and the pain, the heaviness she felt on her body. The dream; Din had told her to bathe in lava, and she had told Ganondorf in a dream. How had she told Ganondorf in a dream?<br>"The dream?" she demanded. Cora's heart began to quicken and blood ran to her cheeks.  
>"Yes," Ganondorf answered confused.<br>"How were you able to be in my dream?" She demanded, standing from the bed. All the past dreams she had had with him in them; she had thought he was only a manifestation of her mind, but had he actually been there?  
>Cora's blood began to boil; he had been in her dreams. He had heard everything she had thought, everything she had seen. She slammed her eyes shut, tears brimming behind them. She felt humiliated and angry.<br>"Why did you invade my dreams?" Cora demanded.  
>Ganondorf looked stunned. "Cora, I-"<br>"How could you? I trusted you!" Cora turned from him and began walking from the room.  
>Ganondorf stood quickly and caught her arm. "Cora, please, just let-"<br>"No!" Cora wrenched her arm from his grip. As she freed it, her arm flailed to the side; she was as equally surprised as Ganondorf when fire shot from her hand, conveniently landing in the fireplace. Cora looked to her hand and then the fireplace in frustration. She stormed from the room, leaving a frustrated Ganondorf behind. She randomly took turns in the halls, trying to distance herself from Ganondorf and hopefully loose him if he came searching. She slipped into what looked like a storage room. Wooden crates and clay jars were piled throughout, offering a corner for Cora to slip behind. She sat against the wall behind a stack of crates and began to cry. She was so embarrassed; she wasn't sure how she would ever face him again.

She remembered all those dreams contemplating her feelings for Ganondorf, that stupid dream where she had dreamt being intimate with him. What irritated her most was that he had never said a word about it. He never led on as if he had been in her dreams or had heard what she had thought. Why would he keep silent? He probably thought her dreams childish and silly, which only made Cora feel more like an idiot. Cora pulled her knees into her chest and rested her head on them. Tears ran down her face. Some of her most private thoughts had become privy to the last man on Earth-well, Hyrule, that'd she ever want them known to. The sudden memories of Link came to the front of her mind causing a new wave of heaving and tears. He had seen those memories and thoughts. She continued to feel humiliated and stupid until she drifted to sleep.

_She had demanded to be brought to the grassy clearing with every fiber of her being. It snapped into view, before her was the Goddess Din. _  
><em>Din's brow was furrowed, "What troubles you so child?"<em>  
><em>Even in her dream, Cora could still feel the anger radiating through her body. "When do I get to go home?"<em>  
><em>" Home, child?" Din questioned. <em>  
><em>"You know perfectly what I mean. When do I get to return to my life, my world, with my family and friends?" Cora stated.<em>

_Din was instantly inches from Cora. She motioned for them to sit, which Cora obliged her. Din's red hair flowed lusciously over her shoulders. _  
><em>"Cora, do you understand that Hyrule needs you? Have you not seen the proof that Ganondorf's power alone will not be enough to fight this foe?"<em>

_Cora could feel the wetness in her eyes. She had always felt so serene when she was brought to this place, but this time her feelings had overwhelmed her dream. _  
><em>"Do I ever get to return home?"<em>

_" As I have said before, you exist in both this world and your own. Your conscious is merely choosing which it wants to experience. Technically, you are home as you are here. You are only experiencing this life at the moment," Din responded. _  
><em>"How is that possible? How can I exist in two different places?" Cora asked. <em>  
><em>"Imagine it as though the you in your world is on auto-pilot. You are continuing to live life just as you always have. Your friends and family will notice no difference," she explained. <em>  
><em>"Can I just switch it off? Choose which version of me I want to be?" Cora questioned.<em>

_Din smiled solemnly. "If it was that easy, I would not of had to bring you here myself. This path you travel in Hyrule will not always be the easiest one Cora, but you must travel it anyways. The people of Hyrule are depending on you, whether they realize it or not."_  
><em>Cora slammed her eyes shut as she felt her anger rush over her. She opened her eyes and saw the grassy field with Din waver before her eyes. "But I have a choice?" she demanded. <em>  
><em>"Calm your anger child, what is the matter?" She frowned at Cora before adding, "Yes, you have a choice."<em>

_Cora rose from her seat on the ground. "After all of this is over, after I have helped Hyrule, I can return home?"_  
><em>Din nodded. "If that is what you wish."<em>  
><em>Cora turned to Din. "Promise me. Promise me that as soon as this evil is vanquished, or Hyrule is saved, or however you want to word it is over, I will return home."<em>  
><em>" As soon as it is over, I will return you home," Din replied. <em>

_Cora nodded as the image of the clearing wavered and disappeared in wisps of color. _

She awoke lying on the floor of her hiding spot. She wiped away any tears that may have been present and straightened her clothes. She was going to have to face him eventually, and she preferred it be on her terms. She wasn't going to discuss it with him, she was going to act as if this never happened. She only hoped he would follow suit.

She made her way back to the room with some guidance from a Goron and found Ganondorf curled up on one side of the bed. The fire she had set in the fireplace was low but still gave the room a warm haze. She walked to the other side of the bed and laid down, her back to Ganondorf. As her eyes closed, she put up a mental wall, refusing to let any prying minds inside her own.

When she awoke, Ganondorf was not in the room. His pile of armor was gone and the fire was all but gone. As she left the room, she was greeted by a Goron who guided her to breakfast. She had still seen no sign of Ganondorf.  
>Once she had eaten, cleaned herself up, and visited with Gable, she was ready to leave. She was becoming annoyed that she couldn't find Ganondorf and that he was holding her up. She had asked a few Goron if they had seen him, but none had. She walked to the very bottom of Goron City, at the base of the large Goron statue.<p>

"They say his name was Rex. One of the first Goron leaders. He built this city years ago," Ganondorf stated.

Cora could feel his presence behind her new. Her breathing became heavier as new anger swelled inside of her. She kept it at bay and reminded herself of her plan. "Odd name for a Goron."  
>She turned to face him; it took all she had not to look astonished when she took one look at his apologetic face.<p>

"Cora, I'm sorry-"he started.  
>Cora waved her hand in the air and smiled. "Its fine, I knew you'd turn up at some point. I haven't been waiting too long, and thankfully there's still plenty of daylight."<br>Ganondorf looked at her confused. "No, what I mean-"  
>She cut him off again, adding, "Its fine you were missing this morning, really. Let's just get going."<br>Ganondorf stared at her for a moment, studying her hard expression and determined eyes. "About that, this is why I was gone." He pulled out a sheath from his belt and handed it to Cora.

Cora could tell it was a sword. The sheath was silver and embellished with a red ruby, similar to the one on her gauntlets. She withdrew the sword and examined it. It was made from a smooth black metal, similar to Ganondorf's. It felt lightweight and easy to wield.  
>The hilt had Din's mark etched into its surface. She looked to Ganondorf. "Is this for me?"<p>

Ganondorf nodded. "Not long after we arrived I requested for it to be crafted. Goron are excellent blacksmiths. I have been assured it will never break under heat."  
>Cora was surprised by the gift. She made sure to keep her face serious; she did not want to look like the happy little girl she was inside. The sword looked magnificent.<p>

"Thanks," she offered.  
>She could tell Ganondorf was put off by her nonchalant attitude, but he did not comment on it.<p>

They mounted the well-rested Erebus and rode down the mountain path. Cora sat at the front of the saddle so that she'd be able to look at more than just Ganondorf's back. It was a quite ride where neither one of them spoke. Cora kept herself busy by examining their surroundings; it was still strange for her to see the world she had grown up playing in on the television. This world was just a mash up of all the games.

As Kakariko village came in to sight, Cora's breath caught. Smoke was rising from several buildings and the air was foggy. Ganondorf quickened Erebus down the path to find that the town had very recently been on fire.  
>A man wearing a green tunic ran up the hill to meet them. Cora quickly realized who it was and hastily dismounted Erebus.<p>

"Funny running into you Cora," Link stated. He embraced her in a hug.  
>Ganondorf stayed on Erebus as he watched the two.<br>"What happened here Link?' Cora asked.  
>"A dark creature broke out of the well in the town. We're not sure what it was, but I'm going to the Shadow Temple to take care of it," he explained.<p>

Cora couldn't help but smile. He looked the part of a hero; his angular face and his sword strapped to his back. "I know what it was."

Link looked shocked. "You do?"  
>" Its name is Bongo Bongo. It was once a man part of the Sheikah tribe. They used to say that he could see the truth. He was a brilliant man who eventually went mad and murdered several people. He was executed, his hands and head cut off."<br>Link nodded thoughtfully. "That's interesting. How did you know that?"  
>" Little knowledge from where I come from," she said teasingly.<br>Link smiled. "I wish I could talk longer, but I have to chase after that thing." He embraced Cora once again.  
>"Be watchful of the shadows Link," Cora said, releasing the embrace.<p>

Link sprinted off. Cora turned to Ganondorf. "Well, are you ready?"  
>Erebus shifted underneath Ganondorf. "Ready for what, exactly?"<br>Cora looked back to the town. "We're going to help clean up."  
>Ganondorf looked to Cora and then to the town, his face looking less than amused.<br>"We should move on," he replied.  
>Cora put her hands on her hips and looked up at Ganondorf. "Get down off of Erebus and help me help these people. In case you don't remember, you don't have the best reputation, and this could help that."<br>" That is precisely why I think we should leave," he said forcefully.  
>"What could you have done to make these people so angry?" Cora questioned.<br>"Not to these people. They tolerate us passing through here, but they don't care much for our prolonged stays," he explained.  
>Cora started walking to the village. "I expect to see you following."<br>Ganondorf grimaced as he dismounted Erebus. He patted his beast before following Cora.

Cora walked towards a group of Hylians around her age. "We saw the smoke and were concerned. Is there anything we can do to help?"  
>A Hylian girl stopped in her conversation and turned towards Cora's face. Her smile immediately left her face. "We don't need any help from your kind. Especially him," she said, nodding towards Ganondorf's dark figure.<br>Cora placed her hands on her hips. "All we want to do is help. Two extra set of hands with honest intentions."  
>The girl scoffed. "You're kind never comes around here with honest intentions."<br>A second girl placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Sokra, we could use their help. Maybe just this once?"  
>Sokra turned to her friend. "How can you be serious Kiyla? We're being kind by not chasing them out of our town."<p>

Cora sighed in frustration. "Listen, if you don't want our help, then fine. It was just a friendly gesture." Cora turned her back to the girls and began to walk away when she heard Sokra call out.  
>"Fine, you can help, but don't for a second think I won't be watching every move you make," Sokra spat.<p>

They set to work cleaning up debris. There were only a few buildings that had completely burned to the ground. Thankfully, it had rained last night, putting out the flames. The townspeople were not excited to see Ganondorf. They were fully aware of whom he was and they each had set opinions on the kind of man he was. Cora could not help but chuckle at their faces when Ganondorf stripped down to his tunic and was hauling away fallen lumber.

They quickly built up a sweat and Cora was getting quite annoyed with her hair plastered against her skin. She was helping several people scrub away soot from a home's floor when she looked up; Ganondorf strolled by the open door, his tunic top now off. His muscular chest shone with sweat in the sun. Cora wiped away a bead of sweat. She could not help but stare at his body, though she was quickly reminded of the humiliation he had brought her. She looked back to the floor, picking up her scrubbing brush.

At the end of the day, Cora met Ganondorf in the center of town. They were both dirty and drenched with sweat, but Cora felt accomplished.  
>"Well, as far as I can tell everything has been accounted for, so that's a plus," Sokra commented.<br>Kiyla elbowed her friend in the side. "What she means to say is we're thankful for your help. You helped speed up the process."  
>" Perhaps next time we can pass through on friendlier terms," Cora offered.<br>Kiyla nodded. "Perhaps."

They were once again upon Erebus and no longer inside of Kakariko's borders. They did not have a set destination yet, but they were running across Hyrule field, heading for the edge of the forest. Ganondorf still had his tunic off, which Cora found very odd. She had only ever seen him travel in his full armor; he had let his guard down.

Not far into the forest's cover, Ganondorf slowed Erebus's pace. Ganondorf slid off Erebus. "There's a stream nearby, we can clean up."  
>Cora slid off Erebus and silently followed Ganondorf to a small stream. She followed his path through thick brush, almost slipping. Ganondorf quickly reached out to grab her arm, to steady her.<br>Cora pulled her arm out of his reach. "I'm fine," she snapped.

Ganondorf turned his back to her, frustrated. He quickened his pace, distancing himself from Cora. Cora knelt beside the stream and began washing the dirt and soot from her arms.  
>Ganondorf suddenly appeared at her side. "Can we talk?" he demanded.<br>Cora didn't look up from cleaning her hands. "Sure," she replied.  
>"No, look at me," Ganondorf grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Please," he added.<br>Cora clenched her jaw. "Fine, speak."

Ganondorf released her arm. "Why are you so angry with me?"  
>Cora widened her eyes. "I'm not mad at you."<br>" Really? You're not acting like yourself," he countered.  
>Cora shrugged, looking away. "I don't know what you mean." How could he not know? How could he not know why she was upset?<br>Ganondorf looked away from her. "Is this because of the dreams?"

Cora could feel her skin crawl. He had to mention it. She didn't think she could keep her composure if she had to discuss it. "I don't know Ganondorf, what do you think?"  
>Cora could see him grind his teeth. "I'm trying to talk about this. Cora, I did not fight my way into your dreams. I could if I wanted to, but I never did. The only time I ever came into your dreams was when you pulled me in," he explained.<p>

Cora rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?"  
>Ganondorf stood close to her, placing his hands on her arms. "Cora, there are times when your mind reaches out to me, almost like its calling my name. All I did was respond. What happened in the dreams was up to you to decide, I was only a bystander."<br>Cora pulled away, fighting tears. "That's just it. My personal thoughts, my feelings, I didn't know you were there. What if I didn't want you to see all of that? Why didn't you say anything?"  
>Ganondorf stared into her eyes. "I admit, I suspected you did not know it was happening. I had my own desires to see what you dreamt about me, it is true. But I never forced my way in."<p>

Cora closed her eyes in frustration. When she opened them, her tears betrayed her and spilt over the rim. "Do you understand how that makes me feel? I feel humiliated and so foolish. The things I've thought and-"  
>Ganondorf cut her off by interjecting," What have you thought that could be considered foolish?"<br>Cora looked at him stunned. She stammered to find the right words. "I don't know, possibly something involving us between the sheets."  
>Ganondorf smiled, moving so he was very close to Cora, a smirk on his face. "How do you feel about me?"<p>

Cora rolled her eyes in frustration, blushing. The nerve he had, repeating what had happened in the dream. What was he trying to prove? "Very funny Ganondorf."  
>She turned her back to the stream, feeling annoyed and embarrassed. She looked up to find Ganondorf standing directly in front of her. She jumped, startled. How did he move so quickly?<p>

He reached out and cupped her chin. "Cora, how do you feel about me?" he crooned.  
>Cora stared into his eyes like a deer in headlights. Her heart hammered in her throat, her hands felt clammy. Her mind raced, trying to find words for her mouth.<br>His hand was firm yet gentle on her skin. "Cora, I care very much for you. I have for a long time."  
>Cora couldn't seem to make her muscles move. Her entire body was frozen in place, except her heart. It was racing at top speeds.<p>

It felt like hours had passed, as though Cora had been standing in that same place for ages. "Ganondorf, I," she paused; unsure of what she intended to say. How did she feel about Ganondorf? She had spent a lot of time with him; she was even sharing a bed with him. He had saved her life on several occasions. She had never given it much thought; in truth, Cora had never thought about staying here. She had never given any thought to making a lasting relationship. How did she feel about the man that stood before her?  
>Cora's eyes searched Ganondorf's, hoping they would give her an answer. Ganondorf returned her gaze, his eyes becoming less hopeful. Slowly, he pulled Cora's face to his. He paused briefly, searching her eyes for answers, before he pressed his lips against hers. It was hot and fierce like a swirling pool of lava. He pulled her in and took control. Cora's head swam and she began to feel dizzy. Is this what being swept off your feet felt like? His hand was in her hair, on her waist; her body was being pulled against his.<p>

Everything was moving so quickly, Cora's mind could barely keep up. As a last resort, she felt herself pull away from his embrace, fresh air hitting her lips. She took a few deep breathes before looking at Ganondorf. A small smile was spread across his lips as he looked at her, amused.  
>"I can't do this, not now." Cora quickly walked back up through the brush, making her way to where Erebus stood. The horse looked up as she approached and snorted. She reached out to the horse and laid her hand on his neck.<p>

"I just don't know Erebus. It's all just so sudden," she rested her head against the creature's black coat. "I can hardly think."

The only thing on Cora's mind now was how awkward the ride home was going to be. Several minutes passed before Ganondorf returned to Erebus. He looked at Cora and smiled. "Are you ready to return to the dessert?"

Cora was glad to be back home. The dessert air blanketed her with warmth and a fresh tan. Ganondorf had granted her the courteous of not bringing up the kiss. Though she still shared a bed with him at night, she had been making a point of sleeping with her back to him and keeping him out of her dreams. She still wasn't sure where she stood on all of this, she needed more time. They had returned to their training, for which Cora was grateful. It gave her something to focus on; she was becoming stronger and more of an asset in battle, which made her very happy. She was enjoying the sword Ganondorf had had forged for her. It flowed effortlessly in her hand and was lightweight for her to use.

Besides, she had to be ready for the tournament. Serene had approached her days before and had told her of a tournament the Gerudo hold yearly. It is meant to be an ultimate test of strength, endurance, and cunning. Cora had been increasingly more excited as time had passed. She was genuinely intrigued to see how she fared against the other Gerudo; women who had essentially been training since birth.

Cora was sitting in the dining hall, along with the other Gerudo who intended to participate in the tournament, which were quite a few. It was considered a great honor to win the tournament; so much so, that whoever won became Ganondorf's first in command. The position was currently held by Serene, which was no surprise to Cora.

"Remember, each one of you must wear different colors. It's easier for us to keep track that way." An older Gerudo was going over the rules. Cora smiled as she spoke; it was easy for her to figure out what the woman was saying, even though she spoke with bits of the modern Gerudo language. All Gerudo were taught both languages, but the emphasis was on the modern form. She was very thankful for the several lessons Serene had given her. After a time, it had been easy for Cora to understand.

The participants had been assigned a color; Cora's was yellow.  
>"You may choose whatever weapons you please. You may use no more than two. They may be one handed, two handed, or you may choose a bow. You will be judged on how far you make it through the course. You will not know how far the others have gone. Does everyone understand?" the old Gerudo spoke.<p>

Everyone exchanged nods. The air held some tension; Cora couldn't wait. She couldn't imagine what it'd be like, not knowing if she was farther ahead of behind everyone else. She wondered if how you responded to certain situations changed the outcome.

"You will have time to prepare soon. I expect everyone to follow the rules. "

She left the dining hall and made her way to Ganondorf's room. Her yellow garments were awaiting her. She quickly changed. They were the typical silk pants and sleeveless top. The only difference is this time she had a yellow gauze veil. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and secured the veil into her hair. She added the armband with Din's symbol and examined herself. She liked the yellow; it contrasted nicely against her tan skin. Her weapons of choice were her sword and her gauntlets, which she had had approved. She hadn't seen Ganondorf in awhile, but she assumed he had something important to do with the tournament.

She made her way out of the building and towards the underground arena they were using for the tournament. Koume and Kotake were hovering before the entrance.  
>"There are three doors inside. The doors are enchanted, so each person's path will be different from the next," Koume explained.<br>"Even if you take the same door as another, your trial will be different," Kotake added. She made eye contact with Cora briefly before looking away. "Is everyone ready?"

Cora looked around her. Serene was a few people to her right; she was wearing purple and had two scimitars. She did a survey of the others; more scimitars, spears, one with a bow, and a few with swords. Cora's hands were tingling with anticipation. She decided to go ahead and ready her gauntlets; they sprung to life on her hands, catching the eye of a few weary Gerudo.

"Single file order, no need to run in," Koume instructed.

Cora found this rather anticlimactic. They stood in line and began walking down the stairs. As Cora walked down, she came to a round room that held three doors. She decided to take the one to her left; a large lion's head opened up, in the mouth was the door. She opened it.

As she entered the room, she heard Koume's voice: "Kill the foes before the buzzer sounds."

Cora looked around the room. In front of her was a metallic object sliding across the floor, its edges were lined with spikes. She careful timed her way around it. The stone floor disappeared into sand. Several large boulders were placed around the room; she saw a door on the opposite wall that had bars in front of it. As she stepped onto the sand, two stalfos appeared before her. They were strange skeletal warriors that had round shields and a sword.

Cora drew her sword and approached one of the stalfos. Drawing from her experience in the game, she closed the distance between them. The stalfos slashed at her but she was prepared; she jumped to the side and slashed with her own sword. She rolled across the ground and came up behind the stalfos, driving her sword through the center of it. When she pulled her sword away, the stalfos fell to the ground in a pile of bones. The second stalfos now approached her. Cora sliced at him but he easily deflected her blow with his shield. He jabbed his sword, grazing Cora's arm. She gritted her teeth but quickly sliced her sword across the torso before rolling and mimicking what she had done before. She stabbed the stalfos in the back, resulting in a second pile of bones.

The bars on the door withdrew allowing Cora to go through. As she walked through, she heard Kotake's voice call out: "Gather the jewels of white, while avoiding the traps and danger!"

Simple enough, Cora thought. She was looking down a hall; she could see several areas where it branched off. She ran forward taking the first path to her left. As she did so, she saw it forked to the left and the right. She stopped just in time as a large boulder rolled past. She looked up to the right to see a ramp where the boulder came from. She looked to her left and saw that the boulder dropped down into a hole. She also saw a white gem, floating in the air like a wisp of air. She checked to make sure a boulder wasn't coming and ran to the gem. She wasn't sure what to do at first. She reached out for the gem and watched as it swirled around her hand and then disappeared.

She turned around and ran up the ramp. She ducked into a hall that branched off the ramp as another boulder ran down. She ran back up the ramp and saw a gem at the top. This time she just ran through the gem. She ran back down the ramp and went to the left. She jumped off a ledge to collect another gem. She retraced her steps back up the ramp to where she had jumped from, this time going the opposite direction. A wall of fire sprung from the floor but it didn't faze Cora. She ran straight through the fire unscathed.

She ran to the left and climbed onto a ledge that held another gem. She watched as the fire wall went down and she heard the distinct sound of metal bars sliding. She jumped off the ledged and took a turn, finding the now freed door.

She entered the room. Her ears were filled with howls as two wolfos rose from the ground. Cora still hated those things from her first encounter. She punched the ground, a ring of fire radiating from her fist. It spread away from her and rose up to form a dome. The wolfos caught on fire and fell to the ground. As they did so, a larger white one appeared. It ran towards the fire and retreated once it saw it couldn't get through. She shot two fireballs at the white wolfos, causing it to catch fire and fall to the ground.

She went through yet another door and saw a pool of water in the center of the room.

"Gather the jewels of white while avoiding the traps and danger!"

Cora dove into the water and immediately saw a gem close to the surface she swam through it diving deeper down. There was current in the water that made it swirl in a circle. She rode it to collide with another gem. She found that collecting the gem took away some of her exhaustion, as though she had taken a fresh breath of air.

She swam further down, avoiding one of those strange clam-like monsters. She always hated those things. She collected a gem and pushed off the wall, shooting to the other side. There was one more in the very center. She swam to the surface feeling refreshed and as though she had not just held her breath for several minutes. Collecting the gems must have increased her endurance.

She pulled herself from the water. She rang out her hair and exited through a now open door.

Outside of the training grounds, several bystanders watched as one Gerudo came out after another. They were down to only a few left inside, two of which were Serene and Cora. As a Gerudo garbed in black came out, Serene followed behind her. She took off her veil and tossed it on the ground in frustration.

"I could have made it so much farther!" she shouted. She surveyed the crowd to see who was left. Her eyes widened as she realized who was still inside. "Cora is still inside?"

" Yes," Koume answered.  
>"Now for the final battle," Kotake added.<p>

Ganondorf chuckled as he walked towards the entrance.  
>"As tradition, the final battle will be against our great Lord Ganondorf. He will enter into the training grounds and battle the last Gerudo," Koume said to the crowd.<br>Kotake elbowed her sister. "In this case however, it saddens us to say it is _not _a Gerudo."  
>" Gerudo is in her blood," Ganondorf commented before taking the stairs down to the training grounds.<p>

Cora entered a square room that had only the one entrance. She looked around confused on what to do. She waited to hear Koume or Kotake's instructions, but none came. She took a few steps into the room and looked around. There was nothing on the walls and nothing on the floor except sand. A deep laugh echoed around the room. Cora looked around startled. The laugh sounded like Ganondorf's.

Ganondorf's figure materialized in the center of the room in a black cloud.  
>"The final battle will be against me. Whether you win or lose does not matter much, but I would be impressed if you were the victor," he grinned.<p>

Cora put her hands on her hips. "Are you serious?"  
>Ganondorf drew his sword. "Very serious Cora. Now, draw your weapon."<p>

Cora rolled her eyes and drew her sword. "But what if I hurt you?"  
>" I'd like to see you try," he said with a smirk.<p>

Cora adjusted her stance and gripped her sword. With a smile flames crept from her hands up her blade, encasing it in fire. She swung it down, striking the ground. Fire raced from the tip of her sword towards Ganondorf's figure. He disappeared and reappeared behind Cora. Cora quickly turned and raised her sword in defense. He used the hilt of his sword and whacked her on the back causing her to fall forward. She reset her feet and faced him.

He laughed. "You'll have to try harder than that, Cora."  
>She glared at him. Things just became serious.<p>

She released one hand on her sword and shot a fireball at him. He disappeared before it hit but it gave Cora to roll back, giving her some distance. When he reappeared, he was hovering in the air in the far corner. She shot another fireball, though he easily dodged out of the way. He formed a black ball of magic on the end of his sword and threw it at her. She rolled out of the way.

She slammed her sword into the ground once more. This time, it traveled across the floor and up the fall. When Ganondorf moved out of the way, the flame split and followed him. It hit him in the chest and caused him to fall to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Cora called out, startled.  
>Ganondorf quickly rose to his feet and charged Cora. His sword collides with hers.<br>"Of course," he replied.

He pushed her sword out of the way and quickly whipped his back. Cora narrowly dodged his attack. They continued like this for several moments. She narrowly escaped his sword with each attack, but she was quickly tiring.

She pushed him back causing him to stumble a few steps. She ran forward and placed her lips against his. He stood, taken off guard. Just as he was reaching to wrap his arms around her, she whipped her sword upwards, sending his flying through the air. As it hit the ground she through a fire ball at it, engulfing it in a dome of flame. She pulled away from the kiss and readied her sword in front of her.

He looked to the sword and back to Cora, his face looking crestfallen.  
>"That was very cruel," he commented.<br>"Battle is cruel," she replied, a smile on her face.  
>With a serious expression, he cloaked his hands with a black aura. "This battle is over."<p>

With a grunt, he slammed his fists into the ground, just as Cora had done previously. The ground erupted underneath Cora. Sand flew into the air and the entire room shook; Cora was knocked off her feet and her sword flew from her hands.

Once everything was settled, Cora was lying underneath a fine layer of sand and the walls had cracks in them. Ganondorf stood over her, his sword in one hand, and her sword in the other. She gaped at him; he was still much powerful than she was. Cora slowly pulled herself of the ground; her body aching.

"Alright, you win," she stated.  
>Ganondorf sheathed his sword and handed Cora hers. With a snap of his fingers, they were now outside of the training grounds. Cora squinted in the sudden bright light. There was a strange noise that filled the air; it took Cora a second to realize it was applause.<p>

"It seems Cora came out last," Koume commented.  
>"As tradition states, she is now the new right hand of Ganondorf," Kotake added rather unenthusiastically.<p>

Cora walked to Serene. "Is this for real?"  
>" Of course, why wouldn't it be?" Serene countered.<br>"I'm sorry, I just didn't think I'd win," Cora said absently.  
>Serene chuckled and patted Cora on the back. "Don't worry, I'll show you the ropes."<br>Cora exchanged her smile and looked back to Ganondorf. He looked rather sullen for the fact this seemed to be a celebratory occasion.

They announced there would be a celebration tonight to honor Cora. Cora wanted to clean up before going to the dining hall so she made her way to Ganondorf's room. As she entered, Ganondorf was already there, looking out a window. She set her veil down on the bed and began to comb through her hair with her fingers. She sat for an awkward moment in silence before deciding to say something.

"I really didn't think I'd be the last one out," she stated to the silent room. She continued to focus on her hair, waiting to see if he'd reply.  
>He kept his back to her.<p>

"I'm excited for the dinner tonight, though. I love the music," she added. He stood unmoving in the window, which was beginning to aggravate Cora.  
>"Did I do something wrong?" she demanded.<p>

Ganondorf turned towards Cora and gave her a look that made her breath catch. He strode towards her keeping her gaze.  
>"Cora, I understand if you do not return my feelings, but I do not appreciate mixed signals."<br>Cora stared at him wide-eyed. "What?"  
>Ganondorf closed his eyes. "Have you forgotten already? The kiss, Cora."<br>" Oh," Cora bit her bottom lip. "Well, they're not really mixed signals, if anything they're really unknown, so, really, they could be the right signals. Or, the wrong ones."  
>Ganondorf furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"<p>

Cora jumped from the bed. "Oh, nothing. You're right, that was very wrong of me. Let's just go eat, okay? I'm starving." She quickly ran out of the room wanting to end the conversation. As she was in the hall, she let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't thought about the kiss being a romantic gesture; just a distraction. Thinking back, Cora realized it to be a mistake. She shouldn't have toyed with him like that.

Her heart raced in her chest. She really needs to get her feelings sorted out.

She entered the dining hall and partook in the feast, wine, and dancing. At some point, they were outlining her duties as Ganondorf's right hand woman, but she had already had too much to drink to really be following any of it. She hoped Serene could fill her in later. She filled her glass once more, determined to drink past the point of logical thought. She didn't want to think tonight.

Cora awoke in the morning to Serene shaking her.  
>"What is it?" Cora mumbled.<br>"There is someone here to see you," Serene stated, looking concerned.  
>Cora opened her eyes and looked at Serene. Who could possibly be here to see her?<br>"Who?" Cora questioned.  
>"Some strange Hylian in green clothes. He's lucky he made it so close to the village," Serene stated.<p>

Cora's eyes widened. She couldn't be serious, Link was here? In the dessert? Cora shot from her bed. "Thanks Serene."

Serene left the room after that, allowing Cora to quickly change and run her fingers through her hair. She shoots out of her room and ran down the hall. She exited the building to find Link standing beside a beautiful horse that Cora recognized to be Epona.

She ran up to Link. "Link! What in the world are you doing all the way out here?"  
>Link smiled. "I had to visit the Spirit Temple. Once I was finished, I thought I'd say hello. By the way, I heard what you did for the people in Kakariko village."<p>

Cora smiled. His blonde hair partially shaded his face, but not his crisp blue eyes. "It was the least we could do for them. Do you take of Bongo Bongo?"  
>Link laughed. "Yes. He was definitely an interesting battled. His hands could float in the air; I've never seen anything like it."<p>

" So, where are you off to next?" Cora questioned.  
>"That's just the thing. I need you to come with me," he stated.<br>"Oh? Why is that?" she questioned.  
>"To meet Princess Zelda. She requested to see us both," he explained.<br>"She knows who I am?" Cora asked, surprised.  
>Link laughed. "Of course she does. Do you think you could leave tonight?"<br>Cora raised her eyebrows. "Tonight? That's rather sudden." She thought for a moment, contemplating what Ganondorf would say. "I think so."

" Follow me, Link." Cora led him into the building to the dining hall, she instructed him to wait for her there and to relax in the mean time. She had to find Ganondorf.

This turned out to be more of a difficult task than she planned. She soon found out from Serene that he had left early that morning to check on a few tribes near Termina. He wasn't due back until tomorrow morning.  
>"What am I going to do?" Cora thought aloud.<br>"Well, you are Ganondorf's first in command. With him away, you are in charge," Serene pointed out.  
>"That's right. Serene, while I am gone and before Ganondorf returns, you are in charge. Tell Ganondorf I had to go on a mission with Link. I should be back in a few days' times and not to worry," Cora said excitedly.<br>"Hold on, are you sure it's wise to leave with him?" Serene questioned.  
>"Oh don't worry Serene, he's on our side," Cora stated as she walked off.<br>"That's not what I was referring to," Serene said to her.

After giving proper instructions and gathering herself a horse, Cora and Link set out across the dessert. She would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to be leaving. She needed time away from Ganondorf; until she figured out her feelings, they were going to have problems. She got along so well with Link, she was looking forward to light hearted conversation.

As they crossed over into Hyrule field, Link slowed the gallop of Epona. Cora brought her horse level with his. He turned her way and flashed a smile; he was so vibrant and full of energy. He was so much the opposite of Ganondorf, even in the characteristics they shared. Cora could see the top of Hyrule Castle come into view over the horizon. Link brought his horse to a standstill.

He tossed her a cloak. "This will help cover your Gerudo clothes. I have a secret entrance that we can use to meet Zelda," he explained.  
>Cora took the cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, tying it in front. She followed Link down a path to the left. They began to gallop parallel to a small stream. As they came closer to the castle, Cora could see that they were approaching from the far right side.<br>Link slowed his horse and crossed the stream; Cora followed suit. The stream met with the castle through a metal grate where the water flowed freely.  
>Link dismounted Epona and motioned for Cora to do the same.<p>

"We might get a little wet, but this is the best way to get in undetected," he explained.  
>"I have no problems with a little water," Cora said with a smile.<p>

Link pulled a small blue ball from a bag at his side. He pulled up what looked like a wick and set it right beside the grate. He pulled the wick out like a pin from a grenade and backed up.  
>"Stand clear," he warned.<br>Cora backed up and watched as the bomb exploded, removing the grate from their path.

There was a decent sized hole for them to crouch through. "Do you think someone heard the explosion?" Cora questioned.  
>"Probably not. It's so far from the center of town," Link reasoned. "Well, after you," he said.<p>

Cora crouched at the entrance of the hole and walked in, her back just barely scraping the top. The water was shallow, barely coming above her ankles. She crept forward; surprised the tunnel was as well lit as it was. She could see in front of her a few feet and so far, she had seen nothing of interest. As soon as she thought that, she cursed at herself. A telektites floating on the water's surface came into view. Cora shot a small fireball at the creature, disintegrating it.

Shortly after the tunnel opened up into a larger one. The water became deeper, now at about knee level. There was a small path running the length of the wall and Cora made her way to it, climbing out of the water. She helped Link up behind her.  
>"Easier than I thought," Link commented.<br>"We're not there yet," Cora said jokingly.

They walked along the path following the wall without any encounters.  
>"I don't think the guards realize there's a direct access from the sewers," Link observed.<br>"Rather convenient for us," Cora replied.  
>"Did you visit Gable while in the mountains?" he asked.<br>Cora nodded. "We stopped in and visited for a day or two."  
>" You and Ganondorf?" Link clarified.<br>"Yeah," she replied.  
>"You guys seem like you're really close," he commented.<br>Cora's breath caught in her throat. "Yeah, sometimes."

They jumped back into the water and crossed to the other side of the hall.

"Huh," Link stated.  
>Cora looked at him curiously. "What was that for?"<br>" Well, I just thought you guys were a couple," he said with a smile.  
>Cora laughed nervously. "Nope, no couple." She paused before adding, "Besides, don't you think it'd be weird with me being from another world and all?"<br>Link shrugged. "I see it as, if you're here, then part of you is meant to be here, otherwise you wouldn't be. In fact, I don't think you could be," he paused before adding, "It's probably for the best."

They came across a ladder and Link stopped. "This is our way up."  
>Like last time, Cora went first. She climbed up the ladder and pushed back a grate that covered the top. Link crawled through after her.<p>

They were kneeling in what looked like a garden. They were beside a fountain, which Cora was thankful for. The noise from the water helped cover any noise they might have made from opening the grate.  
>"Follow me," Link whispered.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Ganondorf<strong>

He had set out very early that morning before Cora had woke. She was an infuriating creature and he hated that she made him feel that way. He knew what his heart desired, but he was still unsure where she stood. How could she not know her own feelings? Ganondorf eagerly looked forward to the day she belonged to him and she could do as he pleased.

Koume and Kotake had been right in that Cora was distracting him. There were duties as King of the Gerudo that he had neglected. He had always regularly checked on his tribes, and it had been several months since he had done a proper survey. He was headed to check on a tribe near Termina.

As he approached, he could see Gerudo moving throughout the village. He was sure his visit was a surprise. He pulled Erebus to a halt at the borders of the tribe.  
>A Gerudo ran forward and dropped to one knee. "Lord Ganondorf, it has been awhile since you have visited us."<br>" I apologize for my absence. Walk with me," Ganondorf stated as he dismounted Erebus.

Ganondorf walked through the village asking about their well-being. Their food storage, water supply, and so forth. The Gerudo informed him of a problem they were having with a village of Hylian's that recently was established. It appeared that the Hylian's had attempted to raid the Gerudo village on several occasions. Though they had never been successful, it was becoming a nuisance. A nuisance that Ganondorf was eager to take care of.  
>"Round up your best five. Is Reeka still here?" he questioned.<br>"No my Lord, she opted to go aboard our ship in the sea," the Gerudo replied.  
>"Very well. Be ready for battle within the hour," he demanded.<p>

Ganondorf lead his small band of Gerudo towards the Hylian village he had been told about. He could not tolerate anyone questioning his authority, not even among his own people. Certainly not from a Hylian. The protection of his people was vital; they depended on him for survival.

The small village came into view. The village was small; only consisting of seven or eight homes. There was a fenced in pasture that contained grazing animals, and there were chickens running wild. He saw a few men walking along the fence. Ganondorf drew his sword; as he approached, the men ran back towards the heart of the village, alerting the others Ganondorf was sure. He grinned; there was something about battle that gave him a rush like no other.

Men were gathering near the edge of the village brandishing swords, hoes, shovels, any kind of weapon they could get their hands on.  
>Ganondorf slowed just outside of the town. Erebus paced back and forth. Ganondorf grinned down at the Hylians. "I am Ganondorf Dragmire. Lord of evil and King of the Gerudo. Today you shall feel my power and fear my people. "<br>Erebus reared on his back legs before plunging towards the coming battle. His Gerudo circled on either side of the village, forcing people back to the center. Ganondorf stabbed his sword into the heart of a man who tried to swing at him with a hoe. He pulled out his sword, dripping with fresh blood, and turned towards his next victim. He chuckled as his sword effortlessly sliced through another Hylian. His power was so much greater than theirs was, it was almost too easy.

The villagers were easily corralled to the heart of the village. They were easy to pick off, disappointing Ganondorf slightly. A good battle would have been the proper distraction to clear his mind. His Gerudo piled the dead bodies in the center of the town. They killed every man, woman, and child. Their final assault was setting fire to all of the homes. His Gerudo rounded up the livestock and herded it back to their own village. They were far enough into Termina that the animals would be able to survive.

"If you are in need of anything, please do not hesitate to send a messenger. I will be more regular in my visits from here on out," he stated.  
>"Yes, my Lord."<p>

Ganondorf turned Erebus back towards the Gerudo Dessert. He felt as though he could breathe a little easier, and was thus ready to face Cora.

As he entered his village, he saw Serene approach him looking rather sheepish.  
>"I am happy you have returned my Lord," Serene stated.<br>Ganondorf walked Erebus to his stable. "Why is that Serene?"  
>" It's Cora, my Lord," she said anxiously.<br>Ganondorf stopped in his unsaddling of Erebus and turned to Serene, his face very serious. "What has happened?"  
>" She has left my Lord. With a Hylian named Link," Serene replied.<br>Ganondorf clenched his jaw. "Is that so? And where are they going?" he turned from Serene. He continued on his progress of taking Erebus's saddle off.  
>"She did not say, just that she had a mission. She said she would be back in a few days and not to worry," Serene stated.<br>Ganondorf's body went rigid.  
>"Her words, my Lord," Serene added quickly.<br>"Of course. Thank you Serene, you may leave now."

Serene bowed before walking away, leaving Ganondorf in peace. He threw Erebus's saddle to the side and slammed his fist into the wall of the stables, splitting the wood. "Since when can people parade in and out of my home without my permission?"  
>He had no idea as to where they had gone or exactly when they were to be back. She had told Serene to tell him not worry; what a foolish thing to say. How long was he supposed to wait before he was supposed to suspect that Link had gotten them trapped somewhere? Or even captured? He did not trust that Hylian.<p>

He retired to his room and tried to busy himself. Not long after arriving, there was a strange popping noise in the room that Ganondorf was familiar with. A noise often accompanied his mothers' when they suddenly appeared somewhere. He turned to face Koume and Kotake.

"Dearest son, it does you no good to worry like this, it'll cause wrinkles," Koume stated.  
>Ganondorf rolled his eyes.<br>"However, we have something that may put you more at ease," Kotake offered.  
>Ganondorf stopped in his pacing and looked at the two old women. "What could that be?"<p>

" We have brewed up a potion that will let you see what they have been doing," Koume stated.  
>"In hopes to put you at ease," Kotake quickly added.<br>"Show me," Ganondorf stated.

They quickly made their way to Koume and Kotake's potion room. In the center was a great black cauldron. Ganondorf approached it and peered inside; a red liquid was swirling.

Koume and Kotake flanked his sides. "Ostende te," they said in unison.

The red potion stopped swirling. It started to become clear and transparent as images began to form. He could see Cora and Link riding across Hyrule field. He saw Link look over to her and smile, and Cora return the gesture. The potion blurred slightly before another image came into view. They looked as though they were crouched in a tunnel.

_"I thought you guys were a couple,"_ Link's image stated.  
>Cora laughed. <em>"Nope, no couple."<em>

Her words stung as they hit his ears; his body tensed. He could hear the soft hum of Koume and Kotake chanting, just barely audible. He assumed they had to keep a chant going to keep the potion activated.

They were in a garden now; it appeared as though they were trying to sneak. Link stopped Cora and pushed back a thorny branch of a rose bush.

_"Wouldn't want your pretty face scratched up,"_ Link stated with a grin.

If it were possible, Ganondorf's eyes would bore a hole through the Hylian's body. He glared down at the image of Link, a fiery storm brewing in his chest.  
>The potion blurred once more and an image appeared that didn't seem to fit.<p>

Cora was lying on the floor of a cave, her eyes were closed. Link leaned over her body and pressed his lips against her cheek. This image looked familiar. He furrowed his brow as he realized why; he briefly recalled it from one of Cora's dreams.

He stared down into the potion as Link's figure bent over Cora's disappeared in a swirl of red. "Why did it show me that last image?"

" I'm sorry my Lord, it must have pulled an image from the past on mistake," Koume stated. Kotake was still chanting beside her sister. Ganondorf began to feel very angry; the more he thought about Link, the angrier he got. Cora's laughter filled his head, the sight of Link's mouth against her cheek replayed. He tensed both of his fists as his heart began to pound harder, coursing anger through his veins. Cora was his, whether she was willing to accept it yet or not.

Something snapped inside Ganondorf. It was as noticeable and distinct as though someone had cut a tension wire. His eyes glowed red, a feral growl escaped his lips. Dark magic began to swirl around his hands. His entire body tensed as he tried to fight it. He threw back his head and screamed; it was no human scream that escaped. It was a deep cry from a feral beast that he kept locked away.

Koume and Kotake slowly floated away from Ganondorf's body, still chanting. With a snap, they disappeared into the air.

* * *

><p><strong>Cora<strong>

With some difficulty they had snuck past all of the guards in the garden. They had made their way to a courtyard that was closed off. In the center was a stone bench, upon it sat a Hylian woman whose back was to them. Cora could see she was wearing a beautiful white gown that had silver details at the hem. Her hair was a dark blonde, gathered half way down into a braid. Zelda looked over her shoulder as they approached. She rose from her seat and turned to face them.

Cora looked at her in awe; she was beautiful. Link knelt down on one knee. "Princess Zelda, I have brought Cora."  
>" Oh rise Link, you know I don't like such formalities," Zelda spoke. Her voice was smooth and even. "Cora, I have wanted to meet you for a very long time, ever since I saw you in the castle."<br>" You saw me when I was a prisoner here?" Cora questioned.  
>"Yes. I tried very hard to make my way down to the dungeons before you left, but they departed a day earlier than planned," Zelda explained. "I am truly sorry for your friend."<p>

" Thanks," Cora replied.  
>"Cora, we have a terrible evil to fight. My father has come under the control of this evil man, Apep. I fear that if we cannot rid this land of him, my father will never return to me," Zelda said solemnly.<br>"I understand. I've been preparing, making myself stronger," Cora explained.  
>Zelda smiled. "And the time is nearly here. I fear terrible things are about to happen. Terrible things that will affect all of us. We must be brave and confront these fears. It will take all of us to bring this foe down," Zelda stated.<p>

"I have been having dreams about you Cora. I knew I had to seek you out, but I have been unable to slip away unseen," Zelda added.

Knowing how powerful a dream could be, Cora smiled. "Well, I'm here. "  
>" I need you to come with me. I want us to pray in the Temple of Time. I can't explain it, but I feel as though we need to do it," Zelda explained. "You too, Link. Quickly, follow me."<p>

Cora thought she knew why Zelda felt this way. She was slightly surprised she hadn't already had a dream directing her here.  
>They slipped out of the courtyard and down a stoned path. "Wait here," Zelda instructed. She crept around the corner and waited for the guards to have their back turned. She quickly signaled for them to run around the corner before diving behind a bush.<p>

"Hello Arthem, how are you?" Zelda asked the next guard.  
>"I am well Princess Zelda. You should not wonder outside for too long," he cautioned.<br>"I get so cooped up inside," Zelda teased. As she talked, so moved so that the guard turned his back to where Link and Cora hid. They quickly crept around the two talking figures and farther up the path.

Zelda ended her conversation and quickly caught up with them. "It's not much farther," she said.

They followed a grassy path that wound around the side of a stone wall. Cora quickly realized they were coming around the backside of the Temple of Time. The temple was massive, standing several stories high. It was constructed of a gray stone with ornate windows. Zelda opened double doors that lead to a hall connected to the entrance of the temple. A red carpet ran the length of the room. Pillars were on either side, supporting the massive structure. At the end of the carpet was a shrine dedicated to the three Goddesses. Behind the shrine was a large wall, which Cora knew sealed the entrance to the Master Sword. She smiled to herself, appreciating the significance of where she stood.

"Please, come with me," Zelda said as she walked to the shrine and knelt before it. "Great Goddesses, I come before you and pray."  
>Link knelt to her right while Cora knelt to her left. Cora assumed she was there to deliver Zelda to Nayru. She seemed to have a truly unique connection with the Goddesses, and as a result, she had turned into their delivery girl.<p>

On a whim, Cora murmured, "Nayru, I have brought her to you."

There was a blinding light that flashed before Cora's eyes, one she was too familiar with. She could feel the transition between reality and the place she went in her dreams.

_As Cora opened her eyes, she could feel the presence of Zelda next to her. Before her was the third Goddess, Nayru. Her hair was a deep blue, deeper than any sapphire Cora had ever seen. Her hair was straight and long, falling on either side of her angelic face. She looked upon Cora with blue eyes that were more dazzling than Link's, and far wiser. _

_"Cora, Zelda, I am the Goddess of Wisdom. I am Nayru," the Goddess spoke, her rhythmic voice resounding around them. _

_Zelda stared at Nayru in awe, falling to her knees. "Great Goddess. I pray to you, help me purge Hyrule of this evil."_

_Nayru out stretched her hand, a glowing blue light emitted from it. "Receive my blessing of wisdom and love."_

_The blue light flew into Cora's chest as it did Zelda's, filling her body with a warm tingly feeling. She could hear Nayru's voice inside her mind. _  
><em>"With my blessing you shall possess the wisdom and cunning to defeat the foes you shall face. You will have love in your heart to discern what battles to walk away from."<em>

_Nayru walked forward and placed her hand on Cora's shoulder. She looked to Zelda and placed her other hand on Zelda. "Cora, you share a link to the Goddess Din. Through you, I shall give Zelda a small blessing from Din."_  
><em>Cora was confused what was happening; just as when she had met Faroe, images were flashing before her eyes. Instead of images of men and women she did not know, she saw herself. She saw herself shooting the archery targets. Why was she seeing herself?<em>

_Nayru released her grip on the two before her and took a step back. "Use my blessings wisely."_

Cora could feel her knees on solid ground. She opened her eyes to find herself once more in the Temple of Time. She looked to Zelda; her face was void of emotion. She turned to Cora and smiled.

"That was amazing. To be visited and blessed by a Goddess." Zelda looked down at her hands. "I saw images of you Cora. Somehow, I feel as though I know how to use a bow now."

Now it made sense to Cora. Cora smiled, "She gave you some of the knowledge I possessed."  
>Zelda furrowed her brow. "I also saw who your companion was. Cora, how can you be allies with that evil man?"<p>

Cora looked to Link on the other side of Zelda. She was beginning to feel a little annoyed every time someone questioned Ganondorf and his intentions. "I was brought here by Din to fight side by side with him. I believe Din would know what was best," Cora replied.

"Or he is a test put before you by the Goddesses. He has brought nothing but anguish to the land of Hyrule," Zelda stated.  
>Cora's nostrils flared. "The entire time I have been here I have not seen him do one thing to harm a Hylian."<br>Zelda rose from the ground. "So he has not told you? About the stories of how he has burned villages? Robbed villages to near starvation? Or how about the time he lost control and turned into this hideous beast that ransacked Castle Town a few years back?"

Cora rose and looked away from Zelda. Was all of this true?  
>"So he has not told you. Of course not, he knows you'd see the truth and abandon his fight," Zelda said.<br>Cora shook her head. "No. It's not like that. He's saved my life on countless occasions. I have witnessed him helping people in Kakariko village. He may have once been the man you describe, but I don't believe that he still is. We're on the same side in this fight."

Zelda scoffed. "Kakariko village? They only put up with him because that's where his Gerudo come and beg for mates."  
>Cora's body tensed; that explained what Ganondorf had meant when he said they tolerated him. She glowered up at Zelda; she had never known the princess to be so infuriating. "I am sorry to inform you that you have not made a convincing argument."<br>Zelda looked grimly at Cora. "That may be. When it comes to Hyrule, I will do whatever I have to do to keep it and its people safe. And that includes destroying that man if he gets in the way, even you if necessary."

Cora was astounded. How was this the person the Goddess of Wisdom and love blessed? She would have to prove to them over time that Ganondorf was on their side. Cora thought back to the games; she had long thought that he was not the same man they had portrayed, but perhaps he had been, until she shown up. Maybe this was her purpose; she was to lead him down the right path.

Cora looked to Link. He walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but she has a point. We have to protect Hyrule at all cost. If he is on the right side or not is still yet to be seen."

They left the Temple of Time and reentered the open garden. They didn't make it far up the path before a low groan was heard. The leaves in the trees around them shook slightly. Cora furrowed her brow and looked to Link.

"What was that noise?" she asked.  
>Link looked at her hesitantly. "I'm not sure."<p>

They heard the groan again, this time closer. The trees trembled; this time Cora could feel the light vibrations underneath her feet.

Zelda turned to Cora and gave her a hard look. "We have to get to Castle Town, now."

They ran up the path and through the garden. They didn't have to worry about being seen, because all of the guards were gone. They heard the noise again and Cora realized it was the cry of a beast. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

Castle Town looked as though a tornado had passed through; buildings were shredded and brought down to nothing but ruble. Hylians were running everywhere in fear, screaming and looking for lost loved ones. There were bodies lying in bloody heaps on the street. A few of the buildings had somehow caught on fire, which held a few guards attentions as they were trying to put it out.  
>"Oh my Goddesses," Zelda said, barely audible. She turned to Cora, "Is this proof enough for you?"<p>

Link drew his sword, preparing for a battle. Cora's eyes stared at what was making them so scared.

A large black beast stood in the center of the town. It towered nearly as tall as the buildings when on all fours. The beast had a flaming red mane, tail and giant clawed hands. There were two massive tusks protruding from its jaw. If it wasn't for the familiar golden headdress on top of the beast, she might not have recognized Ganon, Ganondorf's beast form.

The animal rolled its head, shaking out its mane and roared. His skin shuddered and rolled like waves of the sea on top of his muscles. The very sound shook Cora's body. What was he doing here?

"He's back to finish what he started years ago," Zelda spat out.  
>Cora immediately became angry. "It's not like that, I'm sure of it. How can you just assume that?"<br>" You didn't have to watch as he destroyed families and sit on the sideline helpless," Zelda stated. "Link, give me your bow and arrows. This time I will not stand by."  
>Link handed them over. "Do you know how to use them?"<br>Zelda nodded. "I believe I do now. I believe this is your trial Cora. Your test by the Goddesses. Which side are you going to choose?"

Cora shook her head. "You're wrong. I have to try and calm him."

She ran towards the beast that was in the center of the town, contemplating what to demolish next. Cora's gauntlets shone brightly on her hands as she raised them in the air. "Ganondorf, it's me Cora, can you hear me?"  
>The beast's red eyes turned their attention to her. He drug his massive paw through the air; Cora just narrowly rolled out of its way.<p>

He followed through by bringing his other paw through and demolishing the fountain in the center of the town, sending water spraying everywhere. He reared back on his back legs and slammed his forelegs into the ground, shattering the stone-paved ground.

Link rushed forward, letting out a battle cry. He slashed at one of Ganon's paws. The beast turned its red eyes to focus on Link. It swiped at Link, catching him and throwing him back. Ganon charged forward, his head lowered, bringing his tusks to Link's level. Cora's mind raced, trying to find a solution. Fire instantly appeared in her hand, and she threw it, hitting Ganon in the shoulder. It was enough to bring the beast to a skidding stop. Ganon threw his head back and roared, shaking the ground.

"Ganondorf!" Cora called up to him. "Snap out of it! Can you hear me?"

Ganon pawed the ground, signaling another charge.  
>"Cora, you can't calm it. It's an animal in an uncontrollable rage," Zelda shouted. She notched Link's bow, and fired an arrow. As soon as the arrow was released, it became encased in a golden light. It flew true, hitting Ganon in the same shoulder Cora had struck. The beast reared and roared in pain. His entire body crackled as golden light raced across his skin like electricity. He fell to the ground, struggling against the bonds the light arrow had placed on him.<p>

Link raced forward and began slashing at the beast's chest. Ganon rolled his head and roared; with a final struggle, he ripped himself from the ground and immediately struck at Link. Link dodged the attack and ran back a few paces.

"Stop it! You can't just keep hurting him," Cora demanded. She watched as Ganon began to run towards Link. She threw giant balls of fire at the ground, erupting the ground in a land mine of rock, dirt, and debris. Ganon's path was blocked each time by her assaults. He stopped in his chase of Link and looked to find the source of annoyance. His eyes once again found Cora. He growled, baring his tusks and a row of teeth.

An idea struck Cora. "Come here you big pig, come and get me!" She taunted. She turned and began to run out of Castle Town, and as she wanted, Ganon gave chase.

She turned and fired a few fireballs at the ground, following her same method before. It was all she could do stay out of his reach. She was running across the drawbridge when she heard him suddenly pick up the pace. She stopped and turned to look behind her; she couldn't out run him.

At the last possible moment, she shot a geyser of flame out of her palms, aimed at the ground. The same technique she had used to escape King Bachy's. Her body shot into the air as Ganon raced past. She angled herself so she flew over the bridge and into Hyrule field. She landed just to the right of a very confused Ganon.

Cora was caught off guard as his body became raked with the golden electricity that followed a light arrow. He collapsed on the ground. Cora turned back towards the castle to see Zelda standing at the edge of the bridge.

"Clever move Cora. If it hadn't been for that quick thinking you'd be dead right now. Yet you still defend him. This man who supposedly has saved your life just tried to claim it back," Zelda stated, slightly disgusted.

Cora ran to Ganon's frozen body. She placed her hands on either side of the beast's face and stared into his red eyes. She could feel every muscle and nerve twitch underneath her touch, just waiting to be released. She searched his eyes for any sign of Ganondorf. "I just don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

" I believe the question is why are you doing this Cora? Why do you so blindly defend this man who has already brought harm to Hyrule?" Zelda demanded.

Cora turned back to Ganon and bit her lower lip. In her moment of distraction, Zelda fired another arrow, renewing the electrical energy flowing over Ganon's body. Link rushed forward and stabbed his sword into Ganon's gut.

"Stop, you're killing him!" Cora shouted.  
>Link looked at her with pity. "Cora there's no saving a beast so consumed with darkness."<br>" No, you're wrong," Cora said forcefully. "Ganondorf, please, snap out of this," she cried out. Cora didn't know what to do; she couldn't stop Ganon, she couldn't stop Zelda and Link

"Cora you have no reason to defend this vile creature!" Zelda shouted.

Cora looked down at the beast that was so foreign to her. He was not the man that Cora had grown close to and had come to known. He did not have the same soft golden eyes Ganondorf looked at her with, or the soft touch he caressed her with. This creature didn't fill her chest and the very pit of her stomach with a strange, yet welcoming, nervousness from the unpredictable. He did not have the same soul that Ganondorf did; this creature was a completely different being.

"You're wrong, Zelda. I have every reason to defend the man that I love," Cora answered. The words were out of her mouth before she knew she had said them. She was shocked at what she had said, but she did not regret the words. Once they were spoken, admitted, they felt right. The way they flowed off her tongue was soothing, and as relieving as a spoken secret that was kept for so long. Emotion swelled in her chest as tears crept towards the corner of her eyes. This stubborn, quick-tempered man had won her over. When had that happened? Cora smiled; what a time to have such a self-revelation. She couldn't even begin to doubt it or lie to herself, she felt that it was true, and it spread through her body with every heart beat. Cora looked down at the beast that lay before her. His eyes flickered for the smallest moment, changing from red to golden. It was only a second the golden eyes looked at her, but she knew they were Ganondorf's.

Link stabbed his sword into Ganon's side once more. The beast reared his head back and broke the bonds from the light arrow. He pulled from Cora, rising to his feet, and rammed his head into her knelt body. The movement was too quick for Cora to react; his tusk pierced into her stomach. She hunched over it and groaned. Those tears that had crept to her eyes now willingly broke the rims and slid down her cheek. She looked into Ganon's red eyes; Ganondorf was once more gone. He ripped his head away from her, dropping her body to the ground. She curled into a ball and clasped her hands over her stomach. Blood was spilling from her at an alarming rate. She could hear shouting, from who she was not sure. She did the only thing she could think of. She encased her hands in flamed and pressed firmly against her skin.

She screamed in agony as the smell of burnt skin met her nose, making her nauseous. Her body shook as she willed herself to keep her hands where they were, cauterizing her wound. She removed her hands to assess the damage. There was a twisted circle of flesh covered in blood on her stomach, but she was no longer bleeding. She tried to focus on her breathing, willing her nausea away. She looked over to Ganon. He was raised on his back legs with Link standing beneath him, sword raised. Her eyes darted to Zelda as she was pulling herself from the ground.

Blood was freely spilling from Ganon's side, just as hers had been. She raised her hand and fired a stream towards him. It collides with his side, causing him to fall. She could hear the beast roar; she only hoped she had closed his wounds as she had done her own. She shakily pulled herself to her feet.

"Cora! Are you ok?" Link shouted.  
>Cora looked to him. "I'm fine. You can't hurt him anymore."<br>" Are you crazy? He just attacked you!" He motioned towards Ganon exasperated. "I thought he had killed you."  
>Ganon was pulling himself to his feet rather slowly. His head turned to face them causing Cora to gasp. His eyes shone bright and golden.<p>

"Ganondorf," she said with a smile.  
>Link turned to the beast and raised his sword once more. Her eyes quickly darted to Zelda, who had an arrow readied. Cora released a volley of fireballs. They erupted the ground around Zelda, sending her flying backwards onto the bridge. The ones that hit near Link sent him flying in the same direction. Cora bounced him across the ground until he eventually landed near Zelda. Link shakily pulled himself into a sitting position, obviously wounded from his flight.<p>

"What are you doing?" Zelda demanded.  
>Cora walked towards them and raised a wall of fire in front of the bridge. "Stopping you from hurting him. We're leaving, I am truly sorry for what has happened here," Cora looked over to Ganon. "I don't know what happened or how, but I promise you it won't ever happen again."<p>

Zelda and Link both were shouting protests at her, but she tuned them out. It took all the effort she had to put on a brave face. There was an intense searing pain in her stomach, as though someone was trying to claw their way out of her flesh. She was dizzy, weak, and sure she was bleeding out internally. Ganon walked towards her slowly, the angry beast that had raged through Castle Town was now gone. He looked down at her with sad eyes, lowering his head to her level. She reached out and placed her hand on the side of his face.

"Take us home," she said with a forced smile. Ganon lowered his body to the ground so Cora could climb onto his back. She wrapped her hands in his fur and looked back at Zelda and Link. Zelda looked as though she was trying to ready an arrow to be shot through the flames. Ganon quickly began to travel across the field and away from harm. Cora closed her eyes and held on with every bit of strength she had.  
><em>Go quickly,<em> she thought, _I don't have much time._


End file.
